CVE-2026-96832 in Content Egg Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 09/30/2026
Shop manager PHP Object Injection in Content Egg <= 6.3.1 versions.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2026
The vulnerability identified as a PHP Object Injection flaw within the Content Egg plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting versions up to and including 6.3.1, represents a critical security risk that stems from improper handling of user-supplied input during object serialization processes. This type of vulnerability allows an attacker to manipulate serialized objects in memory, potentially leading to remote code execution or unauthorized access depending on the availability of gadget chains within the application environment. The root cause lies in the plugin's failure to validate and sanitize data before it is passed to PHP functions such as unserialize(), which are capable of instantiating arbitrary classes if specific conditions are met. This lack of strict input validation creates a pathway for malicious actors to inject crafted payloads that exploit existing class methods, thereby bypassing intended security controls and gaining elevated privileges within the application context.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-502, which describes Deserialization of Untrusted Data, a category of vulnerabilities where an attacker can control or influence data used by a program during deserialization to execute arbitrary code or cause other adverse effects. In the specific case of Content Egg, the shop manager functionality likely processes parameters related to product configurations or affiliate links without sufficient checks on their structure or origin. When these untrusted inputs are processed through serialization mechanisms, an attacker can craft a serialized string that includes malicious class instances. If the WordPress environment contains compatible libraries with exploitable methods, such as those found in common PHP frameworks like Symfony or Guzzle, the injected objects can trigger side effects ranging from file inclusion to full system compromise. This mechanism is often associated with attack vectors categorized under ATT&CK technique T1059, specifically Command and Scripting Interpreter sub-techniques, where the attacker leverages the application's own execution environment to run commands.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe for any website relying on Content Egg for affiliate marketing or product aggregation. Successful exploitation could allow an unauthenticated attacker to take complete control over the WordPress installation, provided they have access to a user role that interacts with the affected shop manager features. Even if full remote code execution is not immediately achievable due to restricted gadget chains, the vulnerability can be leveraged for Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) or SQL injection by manipulating object properties that are later rendered in HTML contexts or database queries. This compromises the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the website's data. Attackers may use this entry point to install webshells, deface the site, steal sensitive customer information, or pivot further into internal networks if the server is part of a larger infrastructure. The presence of such a flaw undermines trust in the platform and exposes businesses to significant financial and reputational damage.
Mitigation strategies must focus on immediate remediation through software updates and enhanced input validation practices. Site administrators should upgrade Content Egg to version 6.3.2 or later, where this vulnerability has been addressed by implementing stricter type checking and sanitization of all inputs before they are processed by serialization functions. In cases where upgrading is not immediately feasible, temporary workarounds include disabling the affected shop manager functionality if it is not essential, restricting access to administrative areas via IP whitelisting, or deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF) configured with rules that detect and block common PHP object injection patterns in request parameters. Additionally, developers should adopt secure coding standards such as those outlined in OWASP guidelines for deserialization, ensuring that only expected data types are accepted and avoiding the use of unserialize() on user-controlled input whenever possible. Regular security audits and penetration testing can further help identify similar weaknesses across other plugins and core components to maintain a robust defense posture against evolving threats.