CVE-2025-69130: Entrepreneur Theme PHP Object Injection

CVE-2025-69130 Overview

CVE-2025-69130 is a PHP Object Injection vulnerability affecting the Entrepreneur - Booking for Small Businesses WordPress theme in versions up to and including 3.1.3. The flaw stems from insecure deserialization of untrusted input [CWE-502]. Authenticated attackers holding only Subscriber-level privileges can trigger the issue over the network. Successful exploitation can lead to arbitrary object instantiation, enabling code execution, data tampering, or service disruption through PHP magic methods and gadget chains present in the application or its dependencies.

Critical Impact
An authenticated Subscriber can inject crafted PHP serialized payloads to compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the WordPress site.

Affected Products

Entrepreneur - Booking for Small Businesses WordPress Theme versions <= 3.1.3
WordPress installations using the vulnerable entrepreneurx theme
Sites permitting Subscriber-level user registration with the theme active

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-17 - CVE-2025-69130 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-69130

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a PHP Object Injection issue rooted in unsafe deserialization of user-controlled data. PHP Object Injection occurs when an application passes attacker-influenced input to unserialize() without validation. During deserialization, PHP reconstructs objects and may invoke magic methods such as __wakeup(), __destruct(), or __toString(). If suitable gadget chains exist within the theme, WordPress core, or other active plugins, an attacker can pivot deserialization into file writes, arbitrary code execution, or SQL operations. The attack requires only Subscriber-level authentication, a role granted by default registration on many WordPress sites.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper handling of serialized data passed to PHP deserialization routines within the theme codebase. The theme accepts attacker-controlled serialized payloads from an authenticated request context and feeds them to unserialize() without enforcing class allow-lists or integrity checks. This matches [CWE-502]: Deserialization of Untrusted Data.

Attack Vector

An authenticated user with Subscriber privileges sends a crafted HTTP request to a theme endpoint that deserializes input. The payload contains a serialized PHP object referencing a gadget chain. When the theme calls unserialize(), PHP instantiates the malicious object and triggers magic methods that execute the gadget chain. The end result depends on available gadgets but commonly includes remote code execution, arbitrary file write, or privilege escalation within WordPress.

No public proof-of-concept exploit code is available. Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Database Entry for additional technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-69130

Indicators of Compromise

Inbound HTTP requests from Subscriber accounts containing serialized PHP payloads matching patterns such as O:\d+:", a:\d+:{, or s:\d+:"
Unexpected PHP processes spawning shell commands or writing files under the WordPress wp-content/ directory
New or modified administrator accounts, theme files, or scheduled tasks following Subscriber activity
Outbound network connections from the web server to attacker-controlled infrastructure

Detection Strategies

Inspect web server and PHP error logs for deserialization warnings such as unserialize()-related notices referencing unknown classes
Deploy WAF rules that flag serialized PHP object signatures in POST bodies and query strings targeting theme endpoints
Correlate Subscriber-level authentication events with subsequent privilege changes or file modifications on disk

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable WordPress audit logging for user role changes, option updates, and theme file modifications
Monitor file integrity on wp-content/themes/entrepreneurx/ and core WordPress directories
Alert on PHP processes invoking system, exec, passthru, or proc_open originating from web-facing PHP-FPM workers

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-69130

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Entrepreneur - Booking for Small Businesses theme to a version newer than 3.1.3 once the vendor publishes a fix
Disable open user registration or restrict the Subscriber role until patching is complete
Audit existing Subscriber accounts and remove unrecognized users
Apply virtual patching through a WAF that blocks serialized PHP payloads to theme endpoints

Patch Information

Consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Database Entry for the latest fixed version and vendor remediation guidance. No vendor advisory URL is currently listed in NVD.

Workarounds

Deactivate the vulnerable theme and switch to an unaffected theme until a patched release is installed
Restrict access to theme endpoints handling serialized data using web server access controls or authentication gating
Configure WAF signatures to drop requests containing PHP serialized object markers such as O: followed by class declarations

bash

# Example WAF rule (ModSecurity) to block PHP serialized objects in request bodies
SecRule REQUEST_BODY "@rx O:[0-9]+:\"[A-Za-z_\\\\]+\":[0-9]+:" \
    "id:1069130,phase:2,deny,status:403,log,\
     msg:'Possible PHP Object Injection payload (CVE-2025-69130)'"