Description

Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in ThemeREX Group Hogwords hogwords allows Object Injection.This issue affects Hogwords: from n/a through 1.2.7.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "9.8",
  "pubDate": "2026-10-10T08:17:06.310Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-10-10T08:17:06.310Z",
  "executiveSummary": "The WordPress theme Hogwords, developed by ThemeREX Group, contains a critical Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability. This flaw allows for PHP Object Injection, which can lead to remote code execution, unauthorized data manipulation, or denial of service.\nThe vulnerability resides in the handling of serialized data streams, which are insufficiently validated before being processed by the application's unserialization logic.\nThis issue affects all versions of Hogwords from n/a through 1.2.7. The flaw poses a severe risk to site integrity, as it grants an attacker the ability to inject arbitrary objects into the application scope, potentially leveraging existing class structures (POP chains) to execute malicious payloads.\nExploitation does not inherently require high-level administrative privileges, as the entry point for the untrusted data may be exposed to public-facing or authenticated low-level users, depending on the specific implementation of the deserialization routine within the theme.\nImmediate action is required to restrict input vectors or apply vendor-supplied updates to mitigate the risk of compromise.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability arises from the insecure usage of PHP's unserialize() function on user-supplied input within the Hogwords theme. Deserialization of untrusted data is a high-risk operation, as it allows the recreation of serialized PHP objects from arbitrary input strings.\nWhen an application unserializes data without proper cryptographic signing or strict input validation, an attacker can manipulate the serialized string to instantiate objects of arbitrary classes present in the application's environment. If the theme or the underlying WordPress ecosystem includes classes with 'magic methods'—such as __wakeup(), __destruct(), or __toString()—an attacker can trigger these methods with attacker-controlled properties.\nThe attack flow begins when an attacker identifies an endpoint or request parameter that processes serialized data. By crafting a malicious payload, the attacker can force the application to instantiate a 'gadget'—an existing class in the theme or WordPress core—that performs unintended actions when destroyed or accessed. Through a technique known as Property-Oriented Programming (POP), an attacker can chain these gadgets together to achieve remote code execution, bypass authentication, or perform unauthorized database queries.\nIn the context of the Hogwords theme (versions 1.2.7 and below), the vulnerable component fails to sanitize or verify the integrity of the input stream before it reaches the unserialization interface. This exposes the application to direct object injection. Because WordPress themes often load numerous utility classes and third-party libraries, the 'gadget pool' available to an attacker is typically large, significantly increasing the probability of successful exploitation.\nSuccessful exploitation allows for post-exploitation impacts ranging from full site takeover—by modifying configuration objects or triggering file deletions via manipulated __destruct methods—to persistent backdoors. The vulnerability can be exploited over the network without requiring prior authentication if the entry point is exposed via a public HTTP request. Even if authentication is required, the exposure remains significant for multi-user platforms where lower-privileged accounts can trigger the deserialization process."
}