CVE-2025-67996
Published: 20 February 2026
Summary
CVE-2025-67996 is a critical-severity Deserialization of Untrusted Data (CWE-502) vulnerability. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked at the 18.8th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SI-10 (Information Input Validation) and SI-2 (Flaw Remediation).
Threat & Defense at a Glance
Threat & Defense Details
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI
Requires timely identification, reporting, and correction of the deserialization flaw fixed in Nestin version 1.2.6.
Mandates validation of untrusted input data prior to deserialization to block object injection exploits.
Provides integrity monitoring of software and firmware to detect unauthorized modifications from deserialization-based object injection.
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Direct unauthenticated remote deserialization vulnerability in a public-facing WordPress theme enables exploitation of the web application.
NVD Description
Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in BoldThemes Nestin nestin allows Object Injection.This issue affects Nestin: from n/a through < 1.2.6.
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2025-67996 is a Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability (CWE-502) in the BoldThemes Nestin WordPress theme, which allows Object Injection. This issue affects Nestin versions from n/a through those prior to 1.2.6. Published on 2026-02-20, it carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), marking it as critical due to its potential for severe impact.
An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability over the network with low attack complexity and without requiring user interaction. Exploitation enables high-impact compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability, potentially allowing arbitrary object injection via untrusted deserialization.
The Patchstack advisory details the vulnerability in the WordPress Nestin theme and confirms it was fixed in version 1.2.6. Practitioners should update affected Nestin themes to version 1.2.6 or later to mitigate the risk.
Details
- CWE(s)