CVE-2024-13831 Overview
CVE-2024-13831 is a PHP Object Injection vulnerability in the Tabs for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.0.0. The vulnerability resides in the product_has_custom_tabs function, which deserializes untrusted input. Authenticated attackers with Shop Manager or higher privileges can inject arbitrary PHP objects into the application.
The vulnerable code path is documented in the WordPress WC Tabs Lite Code repository and the Wordfence Vulnerability Report.
Critical Impact
The plugin does not itself contain a Property-Oriented Programming (POP) chain, but if another installed plugin or theme provides one, attackers can delete arbitrary files, exfiltrate sensitive data, or execute arbitrary code.
Affected Products
- wpbranch Tabs for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress
- All versions up to and including 1.0.0
- WordPress sites running the plugin alongside additional plugins or themes exposing POP chains
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-02-28 - CVE-2024-13831 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-13831
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is an Insecure Deserialization flaw classified under [CWE-502]. The Tabs for WooCommerce plugin passes attacker-influenced data to a PHP deserialization routine inside the product_has_custom_tabs function. When PHP unserializes data, it reconstructs objects and invokes magic methods such as __wakeup and __destruct. If any loaded class defines exploitable behavior in these methods, an attacker controlling the serialized payload can influence application state or trigger dangerous side effects.
On its own, the plugin does not ship an exploitable POP chain. However, WordPress environments frequently load dozens of plugins and themes into the same PHP process. Any additional component that defines a class with dangerous magic methods can be chained by the attacker to escalate the injection into file deletion, data disclosure, or code execution.
Root Cause
The root cause is the use of unserialize() on untrusted input inside product_has_custom_tabs. The plugin fails to validate or sanitize the serialized payload before deserialization. Combined with the shared class autoload space of WordPress, this design pattern reintroduces classic PHP Object Injection risk.
Attack Vector
An authenticated user with Shop Manager or Administrator capabilities submits a crafted serialized payload through an input handled by the affected function. The payload is deserialized server-side, instantiating attacker-chosen objects. If a suitable POP gadget exists in another installed plugin or theme, the reconstructed object graph triggers unauthorized behavior during garbage collection or method invocation.
Exploitation requires network access to the WordPress site and elevated privileges, which reduces exposure but does not eliminate risk in multi-user commerce environments where Shop Manager accounts are widely provisioned.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-13831
Indicators of Compromise
- Requests to WooCommerce product endpoints containing serialized PHP payloads with markers such as O:, a:, or s: in POST bodies or query parameters.
- Unexpected file deletions or newly created PHP files in the wp-content/ directory following authenticated Shop Manager activity.
- PHP error log entries referencing unserialize() failures or class instantiation warnings from wc-tabs-lite.php.
Detection Strategies
- Inspect web server access logs for POST requests to product administration URLs that include serialized object markers.
- Audit WordPress user roles and monitor Shop Manager account activity for anomalous product edits.
- Use file integrity monitoring on WordPress core, plugin, and theme directories to detect unauthorized modifications.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose PHP error logging and forward WordPress logs to a centralized log platform for correlation.
- Alert on outbound network connections initiated by the PHP-FPM or web server process that deviate from baseline behavior.
- Track plugin inventory changes and correlate against known POP-chain-bearing components identified by public research.
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-13831
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all WordPress sites running the Tabs for WooCommerce plugin at version 1.0.0 or earlier.
- Deactivate and remove the plugin until a patched release is confirmed by the vendor.
- Review Shop Manager and Administrator accounts, rotate credentials, and enforce multi-factor authentication.
- Audit the plugin and theme inventory for components known to expose PHP POP chains.
Patch Information
At the time of publication, no vendor advisory or fixed version is listed in the enriched CVE data. Monitor the Wordfence Vulnerability Report and the plugin's WordPress.org listing for an updated release addressing the product_has_custom_tabs deserialization path.
Workarounds
- Remove the Tabs for WooCommerce plugin from production sites until a fixed release is available.
- Restrict Shop Manager role assignments to trusted operators only and remove unused elevated accounts.
- Deploy a web application firewall rule that blocks requests containing serialized PHP object markers targeting WooCommerce endpoints.
- Apply least-privilege file system permissions to the WordPress installation to limit the impact of any successful POP chain execution.
# Configuration example: disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate wc-tabs
wp plugin delete wc-tabs
# Verify no residual files remain
ls -la wp-content/plugins/ | grep -i wc-tabs
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
