CVE-2025-69122: SeaFood Company Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-69122 Overview

CVE-2025-69122 is an unauthenticated PHP Object Injection vulnerability affecting the SeaFood Company WordPress theme in versions 1.4 and earlier. The flaw stems from insecure deserialization of attacker-controlled input, classified under [CWE-502]. A remote attacker can submit a crafted serialized payload to trigger arbitrary object instantiation within the PHP application. Depending on the available gadget chains, exploitation can lead to remote code execution, arbitrary file operations, or full site compromise. No authentication or user interaction is required, and the attack is delivered over the network.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can inject malicious PHP objects to compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected WordPress sites.

Affected Products

SeaFood Company WordPress theme versions <= 1.4
WordPress sites using the vulnerable theme on any PHP runtime
Hosting environments where unauthenticated theme endpoints are reachable

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-17 - CVE-2025-69122 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-69122

Vulnerability Analysis

The SeaFood Company theme deserializes untrusted input through PHP's unserialize() function without validating the source or structure of the data. PHP Object Injection occurs when serialized strings reach this sink from an attacker-controlled channel. Once deserialized, PHP instantiates objects and invokes magic methods such as __wakeup(), __destruct(), or __toString(). When suitable gadget chains exist within the theme, WordPress core, or other installed plugins, the attacker can pivot from object instantiation to file writes, SQL operations, or command execution.

Root Cause

The root cause is insecure deserialization of user-supplied data, tracked under [CWE-502]. The theme treats serialized input as trusted and passes it directly to unserialize() without integrity checks, allow-listing of classes, or schema validation. Modern guidance recommends using json_decode() for data interchange or supplying the allowed_classes option to unserialize() to constrain instantiation.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is exploitable remotely over HTTP without authentication. An attacker crafts a serialized PHP payload referencing a class whose magic method behavior triggers a side effect. The payload is submitted to a vulnerable theme endpoint, cookie, or request parameter that flows into unserialize(). When chained with gadgets present in the WordPress runtime, the attacker achieves code execution or persistence on the host. Refer to the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for additional technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-69122

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests containing serialized PHP markers such as O:, a:, or s: in query strings, cookies, or POST bodies destined for SeaFood Company theme endpoints
Unexpected PHP files written under wp-content/uploads/ or theme directories
New or modified WordPress administrator accounts created without an audit trail
Outbound network connections from the web server to unfamiliar hosts following theme requests

Detection Strategies

Inspect web server access logs for requests targeting SeaFood Company theme paths with serialized payload signatures
Deploy web application firewall rules that block unserialize()-style payload patterns on theme endpoints
Monitor PHP error and access logs for class instantiation errors or __wakeup() related warnings
Run file integrity monitoring against the WordPress installation to surface unauthorized file changes

Monitoring Recommendations

Alert on creation of PHP files in writable WordPress directories outside scheduled deployments
Track process lineage where the web server (php-fpm, apache2) spawns shells such as sh, bash, or python
Correlate suspicious WordPress requests with subsequent outbound connections to flag post-exploitation activity

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-69122

Immediate Actions Required

Disable or remove the SeaFood Company theme on any site running version <= 1.4 until a vendor patch is verified
Restrict access to WordPress admin and theme endpoints using IP allow-lists or authentication proxies
Audit wp-content/, theme directories, and the WordPress user table for signs of tampering
Rotate WordPress administrator credentials, secret keys in wp-config.php, and any reused API tokens

Patch Information

No fixed version has been documented in the available references at the time of publication. Site operators should monitor the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for an official update from the theme author and apply the patched release as soon as it becomes available.

Workarounds

Replace the SeaFood Company theme with a maintained alternative until a fix is released
Deploy a web application firewall rule blocking serialized PHP payloads in requests to theme endpoints
Configure PHP disable_functions to limit dangerous functions reachable through gadget chains
Apply least privilege to the web server user so that file writes outside wp-content/uploads/ are denied

bash

# Example WAF rule blocking serialized PHP object patterns on theme endpoints
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@contains /wp-content/themes/seafood-company/" \
    "id:1006912,phase:2,deny,status:403,log,\
     msg:'Possible PHP Object Injection attempt (CVE-2025-69122)',\
     chain"
    SecRule ARGS|REQUEST_HEADERS|REQUEST_COOKIES \
        "@rx (?:^|[^a-zA-Z0-9])O:\d+:\"[A-Za-z_\\\\][A-Za-z0-9_\\\\]*\":\d+:\{" \
        "t:none"