CVE-2023-26326
Published: 23 February 2023
Summary
CVE-2023-26326 is a critical-severity Deserialization of Untrusted Data (CWE-502) vulnerability in Themekraft Buddyforms. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, ranked in the top 2.2% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
Deeper analysis
The BuddyForms WordPress plugin in versions prior to 2.7.8 contains an unauthenticated insecure deserialization vulnerability tracked as CVE-2023-26326 and assigned CWE-502. The flaw permits an attacker to invoke files through a PHAR wrapper, triggering deserialization of attacker-controlled data and execution of arbitrary PHP objects when a suitable POP chain is available. It received a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8.
An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit the issue over the network without any user interaction or credentials. Successful exploitation can result in a range of malicious outcomes including code execution, data disclosure, or integrity violations depending on the available object chains.
The affected plugin must be updated to version 2.7.8 or later to address the deserialization flaw. The referenced Tenable advisory provides further technical details on the vulnerability.
EPSS for the CVE currently stands at 0.4504 with the same peak value observed, indicating sustained exploitation interest after disclosure.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-30147
Vulnerability details
The BuddyForms WordPress plugin, in versions prior to 2.7.8, was affected by an unauthenticated insecure deserialization issue. An unauthenticated attacker could leverage this issue to call files using a PHAR wrapper that will deserialize the data and call arbitrary PHP…
more
Objects that can be used to perform a variety of malicious actions granted a POP chain is also present.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
No named actor attribution yet. ATT&CK technique mapping in progress for this CVE.
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Penetration testing supplies malicious serialized objects, detecting unsafe deserialization and supporting corrective actions.
Evaluation of untrusted data handling (deserialization testing) reveals unsafe processing, which the required remediation process addresses.
Untrusted serialized data can be deserialized and observed inside the chamber, blocking gadget-chain exploitation outside the sandbox.
Validates or rejects untrusted serialized data before deserialization occurs.
Identifies and blocks malicious code introduced through deserialization of untrusted data at system boundaries.
Integrity verification of serialized information can detect tampering before deserialization occurs.
Provenance of associated data allows detection of untrusted sources before deserialization or processing occurs.