CVE-2026-94064 in Neo Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/09/2026
Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in BuddhaThemes Neo | Barber Shop WordPress Theme neocut allows Object Injection.This issue affects Neo | Barber Shop WordPress Theme: from n/a through 3.5.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/09/2026
The vulnerability identified as a deserialization of untrusted data flaw within the BuddhaThemes Neo | Barber Shop WordPress Theme, specifically affecting versions up to and including 3.5, represents a critical security risk rooted in improper handling of serialized objects. This issue allows for object injection, which is a severe subclass of insecure deserialization vulnerabilities where an attacker can manipulate the state or behavior of application objects by providing maliciously crafted input that bypasses validation checks. In the context of WordPress themes and plugins, this typically occurs when user-supplied data is passed directly to PHP functions such as unserialize without adequate sanitization or type checking, allowing external actors to inject arbitrary object instances into the application runtime environment.
From a technical perspective, the core flaw lies in the theme's failure to validate the integrity and origin of serialized strings before processing them. When an application deserializes data from an untrusted source, it instantiates objects based on the class names embedded within that string. If the attacker controls this input, they can specify classes that are available in the WordPress environment or those defined by other plugins installed on the same site. By leveraging these existing classes, often referred to as gadgets in exploitation chains, the attacker can trigger unintended method calls during object construction, cloning, or destruction phases. This mechanism bypasses standard authentication and authorization controls because the execution occurs within the context of the web server process, which typically runs with elevated privileges relative to a normal user session.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is profound, as it effectively grants an attacker remote code execution capabilities on the target server without requiring prior authentication in many scenarios, or allows privilege escalation if authenticated access is required but easily obtainable through social engineering or credential stuffing attacks. Once object injection is achieved, the consequences can include complete compromise of the web application's confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Attackers may use this foothold to deface websites, steal sensitive customer data such as payment information or personal details stored in the WordPress database, install backdoors for persistent access, or pivot into other systems within the internal network if the server is part of a larger infrastructure. The lack of input validation means that even seemingly innocuous fields like profile settings, appointment bookings, or theme customization options can serve as vectors for exploitation.
This vulnerability aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) ID 502, which describes Deserialization of Untrusted Data, and is closely related to CWE 913 regarding Improper Control of Dynamically-Identified Variables. In the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework for enterprise security, this behavior maps directly to techniques under Taint Analysis or specifically to Object Injection patterns found in web application attacks. It also facilitates lateral movement and persistence strategies by allowing attackers to modify system configurations or inject malicious scripts that execute upon subsequent user interactions with the compromised theme features.
Mitigation strategies must focus on eliminating the root cause of insecure deserialization rather than attempting to patch specific gadget chains, which is often a game of whack-a-mole due to the vast number of potential classes in PHP environments. The most effective remediation involves avoiding the use of unserialize or similar functions with user-controlled input entirely. If serialization is necessary for functionality such as caching complex data structures, developers should implement strict allowlists that restrict deserialization to only known, safe types and verify the integrity of serialized strings using cryptographic signatures like HMAC before processing them. For users of the affected Neo | Barber Shop WordPress Theme version 3.5 and earlier, immediate action requires updating to a patched version released by BuddhaThemes after this vulnerability was disclosed. Until an official patch is applied or verified as effective, administrators should consider disabling any theme features that accept serialized data input from public-facing forms or API endpoints, restricting file upload permissions, and employing Web Application Firewalls (WAF) configured with rulesets designed to detect anomalous serialization patterns in HTTP requests. Regular security audits and code reviews focusing on input validation practices are essential to prevent similar vulnerabilities across the WordPress ecosystem.