CVE-2025-24779: Yogi WordPress Theme Deserialization Flaw

CVE-2025-24779 Overview

CVE-2025-24779 is a PHP Object Injection vulnerability in the NooTheme Yogi WordPress theme. The flaw stems from deserialization of untrusted data [CWE-502] and affects all versions of Yogi up to and including 2.9.3. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can inject crafted serialized PHP objects into vulnerable unserialize() calls. Successful exploitation grants full impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected WordPress site.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can trigger PHP object injection over the network, leading to potential remote code execution, data theft, and full site compromise when a suitable POP chain exists in the WordPress runtime.

Affected Products

NooTheme Yogi WordPress theme — versions through 2.9.3
WordPress installations using vulnerable Yogi releases
Sites bundling plugins that expose additional gadget chains usable with Yogi

Discovery Timeline

2025-07-16 - CVE-2025-24779 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-24779

Vulnerability Analysis

The Yogi theme passes attacker-controllable input into PHP's unserialize() function without validating its origin or structure. PHP deserialization reconstructs arbitrary object instances and invokes magic methods such as __wakeup(), __destruct(), and __toString() during the process. When a gadget chain is reachable in the WordPress core, theme code, or installed plugins, these magic methods can be chained to file operations, SQL execution, or code execution sinks. The result is a flexible primitive that adapts to the runtime present on the target site.

Root Cause

The root cause is unsafe deserialization of attacker-supplied serialized data inside theme handlers. The theme treats serialized payloads as trusted input rather than parsing them with safe formats such as JSON. Because PHP object instantiation triggers magic methods automatically, any sink reachable from those methods becomes an attack surface.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires low-privileged authentication. An attacker submits a serialized PHP object through a vulnerable theme endpoint or parameter. Upon deserialization, the crafted object graph triggers gadget chains within loaded WordPress code. Depending on available gadgets, this yields file write, file read, SQL injection, or remote code execution. See the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for additional technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24779

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP request bodies or query parameters containing serialized PHP markers such as O:, a:, or s: followed by length-prefixed strings.
Unexpected files created under wp-content/uploads/, theme directories, or PHP files modified outside normal update windows.
WordPress admin or subscriber accounts submitting payloads to Yogi theme endpoints at unusual frequency.
New scheduled tasks, cron entries, or outbound connections originating from the www-data or PHP-FPM process.

Detection Strategies

Inspect web access logs for POST and GET parameters containing PHP serialization patterns targeting theme routes.
Monitor PHP error logs for __wakeup, __destruct, or class-not-found warnings that often accompany failed object injection attempts.
Deploy file integrity monitoring across wp-content/themes/yogi/ and the broader WordPress installation to flag unauthorized modifications.
Correlate authenticated user sessions with administrative changes, especially for accounts with subscriber or contributor roles.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable a web application firewall ruleset that blocks serialized PHP object patterns on public WordPress endpoints.
Forward WordPress, PHP, and web server logs to a centralized SIEM for retention and correlation.
Alert on creation of PHP files in upload directories and on eval, assert, or system calls in PHP runtime traces.
Review user registration and role-change events for anomalous low-privilege accounts created prior to suspicious activity.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24779

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Yogi theme to a version released after 2.9.3 that addresses CVE-2025-24779.
Restrict new user registration and audit existing low-privilege accounts for unexpected activity.
Place a virtual patch or WAF rule in front of the WordPress site to block serialized PHP payloads targeting theme endpoints.
Rotate WordPress secret keys in wp-config.php and reset administrative credentials if compromise is suspected.

Patch Information

A fixed release of the Yogi theme is required to remediate this issue. Consult the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for the patched version number and vendor guidance, and apply the update through the WordPress theme management interface.

Workarounds

Temporarily deactivate the Yogi theme and switch to a default WordPress theme until the patch is applied.
Disable user-supplied input paths to vulnerable theme handlers via web server rewrite rules.
Restrict access to authenticated WordPress endpoints by source IP where business requirements allow.
Disable PHP execution in the wp-content/uploads/ directory to limit the impact of file-write gadget chains.

bash

# Example: block PHP execution in WordPress uploads (nginx)
location ~* /wp-content/uploads/.*\.php$ {
    deny all;
    return 403;
}

# Example: block serialized PHP object patterns at the WAF layer
SecRule ARGS "@rx O:\d+:\"[A-Za-z_\\\\]+\":\d+:" \
    "id:1024779,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'PHP Object Injection attempt (CVE-2025-24779)'"