CVE-2025-47660: WC Affiliate Object Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2025-47660 Overview

CVE-2025-47660 is a PHP Object Injection vulnerability affecting the WC Affiliate plugin developed by Codexpert, Inc. for WordPress. The flaw stems from insecure deserialization of untrusted data [CWE-502] and impacts all plugin versions up to and including 2.16. Authenticated attackers with low privileges can inject crafted serialized PHP objects into vulnerable entry points. Successful exploitation can lead to arbitrary code execution, data tampering, or complete site compromise when a suitable gadget chain is present.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can trigger PHP Object Injection over the network, resulting in high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected WordPress sites.

Affected Products

Codexpert, Inc WC Affiliate plugin for WordPress
All versions from n/a through 2.16
WordPress sites using the wc-affiliate plugin with WooCommerce

Discovery Timeline

2025-05-23 - CVE-2025-47660 published to NVD
2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-47660

Vulnerability Analysis

The WC Affiliate plugin passes untrusted, user-controlled input to PHP's unserialize() function without sufficient validation. When PHP deserializes attacker-controlled data, it instantiates objects and triggers magic methods such as __wakeup(), __destruct(), or __toString(). If a gadget chain exists in the WordPress core, WooCommerce, or another active plugin, the attacker can chain these magic methods to achieve arbitrary file operations, SQL execution, or remote code execution. The vulnerability is exploitable over the network and requires only low-privileged authentication, which lowers the bar for exploitation on multi-user WordPress installations. Public exploit code is not currently available, and the issue is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. The current EPSS score is 0.372%, placing it in the 28.8th percentile for likelihood of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Root Cause

The root cause is unsafe deserialization of attacker-supplied input within the wc-affiliate plugin code. PHP Object Injection vulnerabilities arise when developers pass externally controlled strings to unserialize() instead of using safe formats such as JSON. Without an allow-list of expected classes or integrity checks, any serialized payload reaching the sink is processed.

Attack Vector

A low-privileged authenticated user submits a crafted serialized PHP payload to a plugin endpoint that performs deserialization. PHP reconstructs attacker-defined objects and invokes their magic methods during the request lifecycle. The attacker leverages an available gadget chain to escalate the primitive into file writes, option overwrites, or code execution under the web server account.

For full technical analysis, see the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-47660

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP request bodies or parameters containing serialized PHP markers such as O:, a:, or s: directed at WC Affiliate endpoints.
Unexpected PHP files written to the wp-content/uploads/ directory or modifications to plugin and theme files.
New or modified WordPress administrator accounts and unexpected entries in the wp_options table.
Outbound network connections from the web server to unfamiliar hosts following requests to wc-affiliate URLs.

Detection Strategies

Inspect web server and WordPress access logs for POST requests to WC Affiliate handlers containing serialized object signatures.
Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule that flags request parameters matching PHP serialization patterns.
Monitor PHP error logs for __wakeup, __destruct, or class instantiation errors that indicate failed deserialization attempts.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable file integrity monitoring across wp-content/plugins/ and the WordPress core to detect tampering after potential exploitation.
Forward WordPress audit logs and web server telemetry to a centralized SIEM for correlation with authentication events.
Track creation of administrative users and privilege changes within WordPress to surface post-exploitation activity.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-47660

Immediate Actions Required

Update the WC Affiliate plugin to a version later than 2.16 once the vendor publishes a fix.
Audit WordPress user accounts and revoke unnecessary contributor, author, or editor privileges that could be abused to reach the vulnerable endpoint.
Rotate WordPress secret keys in wp-config.php and reset administrator passwords if exploitation is suspected.
Review the Patchstack advisory for vendor remediation guidance.

Patch Information

At the time of publication, the advisory indicates the vulnerability affects WC Affiliate versions through 2.16. Administrators should consult the vendor's plugin page on WordPress.org and the Patchstack advisory to confirm the fixed version and apply it as soon as it is available.

Workarounds

Disable and remove the WC Affiliate plugin until a patched release is installed.
Restrict access to WordPress authentication using IP allow-lists or multi-factor authentication to limit attackers able to reach the vulnerable endpoint.
Deploy WAF signatures that block request parameters containing PHP serialization patterns such as O:\d+: or a:\d+:{.

bash

# Example WAF rule snippet (ModSecurity) to block PHP serialized payloads
SecRule ARGS "@rx (?:O|a|s|i|b|d):[0-9]+:\{" \
    "id:1004766,phase:2,deny,status:403,log,\
     msg:'Possible PHP Object Injection payload (CVE-2025-47660)'"