CVE-2024-7433: Ultrapress Empowerment RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-7433 Overview

CVE-2024-7433 is a PHP Object Injection vulnerability in the Ultrapress Empowerment theme for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.0.2. It stems from deserialization of untrusted input [CWE-502]. Authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or above can inject arbitrary PHP objects into the application.

The vulnerable software itself does not contain a Property-Oriented Programming (POP) chain. However, if any additional plugin or theme installed on the target system exposes a POP chain, attackers can chain the injection to delete arbitrary files, disclose sensitive data, or execute code on the server.

Critical Impact
Authenticated contributors can inject PHP objects that, when combined with a POP chain from another installed plugin or theme, lead to arbitrary file deletion, sensitive data disclosure, or remote code execution.

Affected Products

Ultrapress Empowerment theme for WordPress
All versions up to and including 1.0.2
WordPress sites where the theme is active alongside plugins or themes exposing a POP chain

Discovery Timeline

2024-10-01 - CVE-2024-7433 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-7433

Vulnerability Analysis

The Empowerment theme passes attacker-controlled input to a PHP deserialization routine without validation. When PHP's unserialize() function processes untrusted data, it reconstructs objects whose magic methods (__wakeup, __destruct, __toString) execute during instantiation or garbage collection. An authenticated user at Contributor level or higher can supply serialized data that instantiates arbitrary classes loaded in the WordPress runtime.

Because WordPress loads all active plugins and themes into a shared class namespace, a POP chain present in any co-installed component becomes reachable from this sink. The theme itself contains no exploitable gadget chain, so impact depends on other software on the target site. Common WordPress POP gadgets reach file system primitives such as unlink(), arbitrary reads via wrapper streams, or code execution through dynamic callbacks.

Root Cause

The root cause is unsafe deserialization of user-controllable input, tracked as [CWE-502]. The theme calls unserialize() on data that traverses the trust boundary between authenticated low-privilege users and the WordPress core, violating the principle that serialized PHP objects must originate from trusted sources.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires network access to the WordPress site and a valid Contributor account. The attacker submits a crafted serialized payload through an input field consumed by the theme. WordPress then processes the payload during a page render or hook execution, triggering object instantiation and any magic methods available in loaded classes. Refer to the Wordfence Vulnerability Report for advisory details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-7433

Indicators of Compromise

Requests from Contributor-level accounts containing serialized PHP patterns such as O: (object), a: (array), or s: (string) in POST or GET parameters
Unexpected file deletions in wp-content/uploads/ or theme and plugin directories
New or modified PHP files in the web root without a corresponding administrator action
WordPress error logs referencing __wakeup, __destruct, or unserialize() warnings tied to theme execution

Detection Strategies

Inspect web server access logs for POST bodies matching PHP serialization grammar submitted by non-administrator users
Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule that flags serialized object markers in requests targeting theme endpoints
Monitor WordPress user activity for Contributor accounts performing unusual content submissions with binary or encoded payloads
Track version metadata for the Empowerment theme and alert on installations at or below version 1.0.2

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward WordPress and PHP-FPM logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation across authentication, request, and file-system events
Baseline file integrity for the WordPress installation and alert on changes originating from www-data or the PHP worker process
Audit installed plugins and themes for known POP chain gadgets, prioritizing components with a history of deserialization advisories

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-7433

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Empowerment theme to a version above 1.0.2 once the vendor publishes a fix, or replace it if no patched release is available
Restrict Contributor and higher account creation and review existing low-privilege accounts for legitimacy
Audit the site for other plugins and themes that expose known POP chains and remove or update them
Enable a WAF ruleset that blocks PHP serialization patterns in authenticated user input

Patch Information

At the time of publication, the CVE record does not list a fixed version. Monitor the WordPress Theme Page and the Wordfence Vulnerability Report for updates. Apply the vendor's patched release as soon as it becomes available.

Workarounds

Deactivate the Empowerment theme until a patched version is released
Remove Contributor and Author role assignments from untrusted users to eliminate the required privilege level
Deploy WAF signatures that block serialized PHP payloads (O:\d+:, a:\d+:) in request bodies
Isolate the WordPress process with strict file-system permissions to limit the impact of any successful POP chain execution

bash

# Example WAF rule (ModSecurity) to block serialized PHP object payloads
SecRule ARGS "@rx (?:^|[&=])O:\d+:\"[a-zA-Z_\\x7f-\\xff][a-zA-Z0-9_\\x7f-\\xff]*\":\d+:" \
    "id:1007433,phase:2,deny,status:403,log,\
    msg:'Potential PHP Object Injection - CVE-2024-7433'"