CVE-2026-112854 in Holistic Center Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/23/2026
Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in axiomthemes Holistic Center holistic-center allows Object Injection.This issue affects Holistic Center: from n/a through 1.2.6.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/23/2026
The identified vulnerability represents a critical security flaw within the axiomthemes Holistic Center plugin, specifically affecting versions ranging from initial releases up to version 1.2.6. This issue is classified as an insecure deserialization of untrusted data, which fundamentally allows for object injection attacks against systems running the affected software. In web application architecture, particularly those built on PHP frameworks common in WordPress environments, serialization is frequently used to store complex state or configuration objects. When a system accepts serialized data from external sources without proper validation or type checking, it creates an opening for attackers to manipulate these objects during the deserialization process.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability relies on the ability of malicious actors to craft specific payloads that exploit magic methods within PHP classes. By injecting specially crafted serialized strings into input fields or parameters processed by Holistic Center, an attacker can force the application to instantiate arbitrary objects with controlled properties. This object injection capability is particularly dangerous because it bypasses standard authentication and authorization checks if the targeted class possesses methods that perform sensitive operations such as file system access, database queries, or execution of system commands. The flaw stems from a lack of rigorous input sanitization and type verification before the deserialization engine processes the incoming data stream.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the targeted web application. Successful exploitation can lead to remote code execution (RCE), allowing attackers to gain full control over the underlying server environment. This could result in the compromise of sensitive user data, defacement of the website, or the use of the compromised server as a pivot point for further attacks within an internal network. Additionally, because this is a widely used plugin, automated scanning tools and botnets often target such vulnerabilities to mass-compromise websites for hosting malware or launching distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) campaigns.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-502, which describes the deserialization of untrusted data as a distinct weakness category where an application fails to validate that incoming serialized objects are safe before processing them. In terms of offensive security frameworks, this exploit path corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1190, Exploit Public-Facing Application, and potentially T1059 if the object injection leads to command execution via script interpretation. The lack of strict type enforcement during deserialization is a classic example of trusting user input implicitly, which violates fundamental secure coding principles regarding data validation and integrity checks.
To mitigate this risk, immediate action is required for all administrators running Holistic Center versions prior to 1.2.7 or later patched releases. The primary remediation step involves updating the plugin to the latest stable version where the vendor has implemented proper input sanitization and type checking mechanisms before deserialization occurs. If an update is not immediately feasible, temporary mitigations include disabling file uploads if they are processed through vulnerable endpoints, restricting server-side function execution via PHP configuration settings such as disable_functions, and implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule set designed to detect and block common serialization payload patterns like O: or a:. Regular security audits and code reviews focusing on data handling routines can further prevent similar vulnerabilities in future development cycles.