CVE-2016-4825 in Collne Welcart e-Commerce Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The Collne Welcart e-Commerce plugin before 1.8.3 for WordPress allows remote attackers to conduct PHP object injection attacks and execute arbitrary PHP code via crafted serialized data.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/20/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-4825 resides within the Collne Welcart e-Commerce plugin for WordPress, a widely used platform for online retail operations. This security flaw affects versions prior to 1.8.3 and represents a critical PHP object injection vulnerability that can be exploited by remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the plugin's handling of serialized data, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject malicious PHP objects into the application's execution flow.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of serialized data structures that are typically used to store and transmit complex data objects between the client and server. When the vulnerable plugin processes these serialized objects without proper validation, it inadvertently deserializes malicious payloads that contain PHP objects designed to execute arbitrary code. This deserialization process, when improperly secured, allows attackers to inject malicious PHP code that can be executed within the context of the web server, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-502, which specifically addresses deserialization of untrusted data as a critical security weakness.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-4825 extends beyond simple code execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform various malicious activities including data exfiltration, privilege escalation, and persistent backdoor installation. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can gain unauthorized access to sensitive customer information, manipulate product catalogs, modify pricing structures, and potentially use the compromised system as a launch point for further attacks within the network infrastructure. The attack vector typically involves sending crafted HTTP requests containing malicious serialized data to endpoints within the plugin's functionality, often through user input fields or API endpoints that process serialized data.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of the affected plugin to version 1.8.3 or later, which includes proper input validation and sanitization measures for serialized data processing. Organizations should also implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious serialized data patterns. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous behavior patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, including unusual data processing activities or unexpected code execution. The remediation process must also include comprehensive security audits of all installed WordPress plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities, as this type of deserialization flaw is not unique to the Collne Welcart plugin and represents a common pattern in vulnerable web applications. Additionally, implementing proper principle of least privilege access controls and regular security assessments can help reduce the potential impact of such vulnerabilities when they do occur.