CVE-2025-67617: Consult Aid Deserialization Vulnerability

CVE-2025-67617 Overview

CVE-2025-67617 is a Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability affecting the Consult Aid WordPress theme by themeton. This vulnerability allows attackers to perform PHP Object Injection attacks against vulnerable WordPress installations running the affected theme versions.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation of this PHP Object Injection vulnerability could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code, manipulate application data, or compromise the underlying WordPress installation through maliciously crafted serialized objects.

Affected Products

• Consult Aid WordPress Theme version 1.4.3 and earlier
• WordPress installations using the vulnerable Consult Aid theme

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-22 - CVE CVE-2025-67617 published to NVD
• 2026-01-22 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-67617

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from improper handling of serialized data within the Consult Aid WordPress theme. When the application deserializes user-controllable input without adequate validation, attackers can inject malicious PHP objects that execute arbitrary code or manipulate application state during the deserialization process.

PHP Object Injection vulnerabilities (CWE-502) occur when an application unserializes data from untrusted sources. In WordPress themes, this commonly manifests in areas that process user input such as form submissions, cookie values, or database-stored content that gets unserialized.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the use of PHP's unserialize() function on untrusted user input without proper validation or sanitization. When serialized data is passed to unserialize(), PHP reconstructs the object and may automatically invoke magic methods such as __wakeup(), __destruct(), or __toString(). If the application codebase or any included libraries contain classes with exploitable magic methods (known as "gadget chains"), an attacker can craft malicious serialized payloads to achieve code execution.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability involves an attacker supplying a crafted serialized PHP object to the vulnerable Consult Aid theme. The exploitation process typically follows these steps:

1. The attacker identifies an input point where serialized data is processed by the theme
2. The attacker constructs a malicious serialized payload containing objects that leverage existing classes in the WordPress environment or theme
3. When the application deserializes the malicious input, the injected objects trigger dangerous operations through PHP magic methods
4. Depending on available gadget chains, this can result in remote code execution, file operations, database manipulation, or other malicious activities

For detailed technical information about this vulnerability, refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-67617

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed serialized data in HTTP request parameters, POST bodies, or cookies targeting WordPress sites
• Unexpected PHP objects appearing in web server access logs
• Anomalous file system modifications or new files created in the WordPress installation directory
• Unexpected outbound network connections from the web server

Detection Strategies

• Monitor web application firewall (WAF) logs for serialized PHP object patterns (strings beginning with O:, a:, s:)
• Implement file integrity monitoring on WordPress theme directories to detect unauthorized changes
• Review access logs for suspicious POST requests to theme-related endpoints
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions capable of identifying exploitation attempts and post-exploitation activity

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for PHP deserialization operations where possible
• Configure security plugins to alert on suspicious serialized data submissions
• Monitor for unusual process spawning or command execution originating from the web server process
• Implement real-time alerting for file modifications within the wp-content/themes/consultaid/ directory

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-67617

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the Consult Aid theme to the latest patched version as soon as a fix is available from themeton
• If no patch is available, consider temporarily deactivating the Consult Aid theme and switching to a secure alternative
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block serialized PHP object patterns in incoming requests
• Review WordPress installations for signs of compromise
• Restrict file system permissions for the WordPress installation to limit potential damage

Patch Information

Consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the latest information on available patches and remediation guidance from the vendor.

Workarounds

• Implement WAF rules to filter and block requests containing serialized PHP objects
• Use security plugins that provide virtual patching capabilities for WordPress vulnerabilities
• Consider switching to an alternative WordPress theme until a patch is released
• Apply the principle of least privilege to file system permissions for the web server user

# Configuration example - WAF rule to block PHP serialized objects (ModSecurity)
SecRule ARGS "@rx O:\d+:\"" "id:1001,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'Blocked potential PHP Object Injection'"
SecRule REQUEST_BODY "@rx O:\d+:\"" "id:1002,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'Blocked potential PHP Object Injection in body'"