CVE-2025-60089: Gravity Forms Freshdesk Object Injection

CVE-2025-60089 Overview

CVE-2025-60089 is a critical Insecure Deserialization vulnerability affecting the CRM Perks WP Gravity Forms FreshDesk Plugin (gf-freshdesk) for WordPress. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to perform Object Injection attacks by exploiting improper handling of serialized data within the plugin. This type of vulnerability can lead to severe consequences including remote code execution, unauthorized data access, and complete site compromise.

Critical Impact

This Object Injection vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote attackers to inject arbitrary PHP objects, potentially leading to remote code execution, privilege escalation, or complete WordPress site takeover.

Affected Products

• CRM Perks WP Gravity Forms FreshDesk Plugin versions through 1.3.5
• WordPress installations using the gf-freshdesk plugin
• Sites integrating Gravity Forms with FreshDesk via the affected plugin

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-12-18 - CVE CVE-2025-60089 published to NVD
• 2026-01-20 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-60089

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly validate and sanitize serialized data before deserialization. When PHP's unserialize() function processes untrusted user input without adequate validation, attackers can craft malicious serialized payloads containing arbitrary PHP objects. Upon deserialization, these objects can trigger dangerous "magic methods" such as __wakeup(), __destruct(), or __toString(), leading to unintended code execution.

The attack is particularly dangerous in WordPress environments where numerous plugins and themes may contain "gadget chains" — sequences of classes that, when instantiated through object injection, can be chained together to achieve arbitrary code execution. The network-accessible nature of WordPress plugins means this vulnerability can be exploited remotely without any authentication requirements.

Root Cause

The root cause is classified as CWE-502 (Deserialization of Untrusted Data). The WP Gravity Forms FreshDesk Plugin fails to implement proper input validation before passing user-controlled data to PHP's deserialization functions. This allows attackers to inject malicious serialized PHP objects that execute arbitrary operations when the application processes the malformed data.

Proper security controls would include validating the source and integrity of serialized data, using safer data interchange formats like JSON, or implementing signature verification for any serialized content that must be processed.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can craft a malicious HTTP request containing a specially crafted serialized PHP object payload. When the vulnerable plugin processes this request, the malicious object is instantiated, triggering the exploit chain.

The exploitation typically involves:

1. Identifying a vulnerable deserialization entry point in the plugin
2. Discovering available PHP classes (gadget chains) in the WordPress installation
3. Crafting a serialized payload that chains available gadgets to achieve code execution
4. Sending the payload via HTTP request to the vulnerable endpoint
5. The server deserializes the payload, executing the attacker's intended operations

Due to the nature of PHP object injection, successful exploitation depends on the availability of exploitable classes within the WordPress installation, including those from the core, themes, and other installed plugins.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-60089

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual HTTP POST requests to the WP Gravity Forms FreshDesk Plugin endpoints containing serialized PHP data patterns (e.g., O: followed by class names)
• Unexpected file creation or modification in the WordPress installation directories
• Web server logs showing requests with Base64-encoded or URL-encoded serialized object payloads
• New unauthorized administrator accounts or modified user privileges

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block serialized PHP object patterns in HTTP requests
• Monitor server logs for suspicious POST requests targeting /wp-content/plugins/gf-freshdesk/ endpoints
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions that can identify PHP object injection attempts and anomalous process execution
• Utilize SentinelOne Singularity to detect post-exploitation behaviors such as webshell deployment or unauthorized file system modifications

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for WordPress and the affected plugin to capture detailed request information
• Set up alerts for any new file creation within plugin directories or suspicious PHP file modifications
• Monitor for outbound network connections from the web server that could indicate reverse shell establishment
• Regularly audit WordPress user accounts and permissions for unauthorized changes

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-60089

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the WP Gravity Forms FreshDesk Plugin to a patched version as soon as one becomes available from CRM Perks
• Consider temporarily deactivating the gf-freshdesk plugin if it is not critical to business operations until a patch is released
• Implement WAF rules to filter requests containing PHP serialized object patterns
• Review WordPress installations for signs of compromise, including unauthorized users or file modifications

Patch Information

At the time of publication, users should monitor the official CRM Perks website and the WordPress plugin repository for security updates. The Patchstack Vulnerability Database provides additional details and tracking information for this vulnerability. Site administrators should subscribe to security advisories from CRM Perks to receive notification when a patched version is released.

Workarounds

• Disable the WP Gravity Forms FreshDesk Plugin (gf-freshdesk) until a security patch is available
• Implement strict input validation at the web server or WAF level to reject requests containing serialized PHP objects
• Restrict access to WordPress admin and plugin endpoints using IP whitelisting or VPN-only access
• Consider using alternative Gravity Forms to FreshDesk integration methods that do not rely on the vulnerable plugin

# Disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate gf-freshdesk

# Verify the plugin is deactivated
wp plugin status gf-freshdesk

# Optional: Restrict access to the plugin directory at the web server level (Apache example)
# Add to .htaccess in /wp-content/plugins/gf-freshdesk/
# Order Deny,Allow
# Deny from all