CVE-2026-118078 in Product Catalog Feed Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/29/2026
Shop manager PHP Object Injection in Product Catalog Feed by PixelYourSite <= 3.1.4 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/29/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-XXXXX involves a critical PHP object injection flaw within the Product Catalog Feed feature of the PixelYourSite WordPress plugin, specifically affecting versions up to and including 3.1.4. This security issue stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms when handling user-supplied data related to product catalog configurations. The core technical failure lies in the application's ability to deserialize untrusted PHP objects without proper verification of their class types or methods, allowing an attacker to manipulate the serialization process. By crafting a malicious serialized string that exploits weak type juggling or insecure deserialization patterns inherent in older PHP versions or specific plugin implementations, an unauthorized actor can inject arbitrary object instances into the application's execution flow. This flaw is particularly dangerous because it bypasses standard authentication checks if the vulnerability triggers during administrative operations such as saving product feed settings, which are typically restricted to users with shop manager roles.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-502, Deserialization of Untrusted Data, and often intersects with CWE-94, Improper Control of Generation of Code (Code Injection), depending on the specific payload executed during object instantiation. The attack vector typically requires an authenticated user with at least shop manager privileges to interact with the plugin's configuration interface or API endpoints that process product data feeds. Once a maliciously crafted PHP serialized string is submitted through these inputs, the application attempts to unserialize it without adequate safeguards. This allows the attacker to instantiate objects of classes available within the WordPress environment or other loaded plugins, potentially leading to remote code execution if dangerous methods such as exec, system, or file_get_contents are invoked on injected instances. The operational impact is severe, as successful exploitation can result in complete compromise of the web server hosting the WordPress site, including theft of sensitive customer data, defacement, and use of the compromised host for further attacks against other networked systems.
The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1059, Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically when the object injection leads to arbitrary command execution, or T1203, Exploitation for Client Execution if the payload targets client-side components via reflected vectors, though in this server-side context it primarily facilitates initial access and privilege escalation. The lack of strict allow-lists for deserialized classes means that any class with a magic method like __wakeup, __destruct, or __toString can potentially be leveraged to trigger unintended side effects. This includes accessing private properties through reflection techniques if the plugin code does not properly encapsulate sensitive data structures. Furthermore, because PixelYourSite integrates deeply with e-commerce platforms like WooCommerce, exploiting this vulnerability may also impact inventory management systems and payment processing workflows by altering product metadata or feed configurations silently in the background.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate patching to version 3.1.5 or later where these input validation checks have been reinforced. Administrators should ensure that all WordPress plugins are updated regularly, as developers frequently release patches for such critical flaws shortly after public disclosure. In environments where updating is not immediately feasible, temporary mitigations include restricting access to the wp-admin directory using IP whitelisting and implementing a Web Application Firewall with rules designed to detect anomalous PHP serialization patterns in POST requests. Additionally, enabling strict type checking on server-side scripts and disabling dangerous functions like unserialize unless absolutely necessary can reduce the attack surface. Security monitoring should be enhanced to look for unusual file system changes or network connections originating from the web root directory, which may indicate successful exploitation of this object injection vulnerability. Regular audits of plugin code against OWASP Top 10 standards will help identify similar deserialization risks in other components before they are exploited by malicious actors seeking to compromise e-commerce infrastructure.