How CVE-2025-0724 Works
The vulnerability exists in the ProfileGrid WordPress plugin (≤ v5.9.4.5) due to insecure deserialization in the `get_user_meta_fields_html` function. When user-controlled data is deserialized without proper validation, attackers with Subscriber-level access can inject malicious PHP objects. While no exploitable POP (Property-Oriented Programming) chain exists in the plugin itself, combining this flaw with another plugin/themes containing a usable POP chain may lead to remote code execution (RCE), file deletion, or data theft. The attack requires authenticated access, limiting its immediate impact unless chained with other vulnerabilities.
DailyCVE Form
Platform: WordPress
Version: ≤5.9.4.5
Vulnerability: PHP Object Injection
Severity: Medium
Date: 03/26/2025
What Undercode Say:
Exploitation Analysis
- Exploit Trigger: Crafted serialized payload sent via user meta fields.
2. Prerequisite: Attacker must have Subscriber-level access.
- POP Chain Dependency: Requires a secondary plugin/theme with exploitable classes.
Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Snippet
// Malicious serialized payload example
$payload = 'O:8:"Example":1:{s:10:"payload";s:12:"echo \'test\';";}';
update_user_meta($user_id, 'vulnerable_field', $payload);
Detection Commands
1. Check Plugin Version:
wp plugin list --name=profilegrid --field=version
2. Log Analysis:
grep "unserialize.get_user_meta_fields_html" /var/log/nginx/error.log
Mitigation Steps
1. Immediate Action: Update to ProfileGrid ≥5.9.4.6.
- WAF Rule: Block serialized data in user meta:
location ~ "({.})" { deny all; }
3. Disable Plugin:
wp plugin deactivate profilegrid
Code Fix (Patch Example)
// Replace unserialize() with JSON decoding
$data = json_decode($input, true);
if (json_last_error() !== JSON_ERROR_NONE) {
wp_die('Invalid data format');
}
References
References:
Reported By: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-0724
Extra Source Hub:
Undercode
