CVE-2025-0429 Overview
CVE-2025-0429 is a PHP Object Injection vulnerability affecting the "AI Power: Complete AI Pack" plugin for WordPress in all versions up to and including 1.8.96. The flaw resides in the wpaicg_export_ai_forms() function, which deserializes untrusted input from the $form['post_content'] variable. Authenticated attackers with administrative privileges can inject arbitrary PHP objects into the application. While the plugin itself does not contain a Property-Oriented Programming (POP) chain, the presence of a chain in any other installed plugin or theme can escalate the issue to arbitrary file deletion, sensitive data disclosure, or remote code execution. The vulnerability is tracked under CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data.
Critical Impact
Authenticated administrators can inject PHP objects that, when combined with a POP chain from another component, may lead to arbitrary file deletion, sensitive data retrieval, or remote code execution.
Affected Products
- AI Power: Complete AI Pack plugin for WordPress
- All versions up to and including 1.8.96
- WordPress sites with additional plugins or themes containing exploitable POP chains
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-01-22 - CVE-2025-0429 published to NVD
- 2025-01-24 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-0429
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability stems from unsafe deserialization of attacker-controlled input within the plugin's export workflow. The wpaicg_export_ai_forms() function processes the $form['post_content'] variable and passes it through PHP's unserialize() routine without prior validation or integrity checks. When PHP deserializes a crafted payload, it instantiates objects and triggers magic methods such as __wakeup() or __destruct() defined by available classes.
The plugin alone does not ship with a usable POP chain. However, WordPress environments commonly load dozens of plugins and themes that expose classes with dangerous magic methods. An attacker can leverage these classes to chain method calls that perform unintended operations on the host. The exploitation path is well-documented in the Wordfence Vulnerability Report.
Root Cause
The root cause is the use of PHP deserialization on data that originates from a user-controlled form field. The function trusts the structure of $form['post_content'] and does not enforce a safe data format such as JSON. This design pattern violates secure deserialization principles defined in [CWE-502].
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires an authenticated session with administrative privileges. An attacker submits a crafted serialized PHP object through the AI Forms export functionality. The plugin then deserializes the payload, instantiating attacker-chosen classes that may already exist on the system. The vulnerability is reachable over the network via the standard WordPress administrative interface.
No verified public proof-of-concept code is available. Refer to the WordPress Trac Changeset for the corresponding source code change introduced by the maintainer.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-0429
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected POST requests to AI Power plugin endpoints invoking wpaicg_export_ai_forms with serialized PHP payloads beginning with markers such as O:, a:, or s:.
- Creation, modification, or deletion of files outside the plugin's directory shortly after administrative export requests.
- Outbound network connections from the PHP worker process to unfamiliar hosts following plugin interaction.
Detection Strategies
- Inspect web server and WordPress access logs for requests targeting AI Power plugin admin actions containing serialized object signatures in the post_content parameter.
- Apply Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules that detect serialized PHP object patterns in administrative requests to WordPress.
- Audit installed plugins and themes for classes implementing __wakeup(), __destruct(), or __toString() that perform file I/O or process execution, as these may form POP chains.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose audit logging for WordPress administrator activity, including plugin export and import operations.
- Monitor file integrity on the WordPress filesystem to detect unauthorized deletions or modifications.
- Track creation of new administrator accounts and changes to user roles, which often follow successful object injection chains.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-0429
Immediate Actions Required
- Update the AI Power: Complete AI Pack plugin to a version newer than 1.8.96 as published in the WordPress Trac Changeset.
- Review administrator accounts and rotate credentials for any administrator that may have been compromised.
- Audit installed plugins and themes and remove unused components to reduce the available POP chain surface.
Patch Information
The vendor addressed the vulnerability in the changeset published at plugins.trac.wordpress.org changeset 3224162. The fix modifies how $form['post_content'] is processed inside wpaicg_export_ai_forms() to prevent deserialization of untrusted input. Administrators should validate plugin version 1.8.97 or later is active on all sites.
Workarounds
- Restrict administrative access to the WordPress backend through IP allow-lists or VPN-only access until patching is complete.
- Enforce multi-factor authentication on all administrator accounts to reduce the risk of credential-based exploitation.
- Temporarily deactivate the AI Power plugin if an immediate upgrade is not feasible.
- Deploy a WAF ruleset that blocks serialized PHP object payloads submitted to plugin admin endpoints.
# Configuration example: WordPress CLI update of the affected plugin
wp plugin update gpt3-ai-content-generator --version=1.8.97
wp plugin list --name=gpt3-ai-content-generator --fields=name,status,version
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
