CVE-2025-7825: WordPress Schema Plugin Object Injection RCE

CVE-2025-7825 Overview

CVE-2025-7825 affects the Schema Plugin For Divi, Gutenberg & Shortcodes plugin for WordPress in all versions up to and including 4.3.2. The vulnerability allows PHP Object Instantiation through deserialization of untrusted input via the wpt_schema_breadcrumbs shortcode. Authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or higher can inject a PHP Object. The plugin itself contains no known Property-Oriented Programming (POP) chain, so exploitation requires an additional plugin or theme on the site that provides one. When a POP chain is present, an attacker may delete arbitrary files, retrieve sensitive data, or execute code.

Critical Impact
Contributor-level users can inject arbitrary PHP objects via the wpt_schema_breadcrumbs shortcode, enabling file deletion, data disclosure, or code execution when a POP chain exists in another installed component.

Affected Products

Schema Plugin For Divi, Gutenberg & Shortcodes (WordPress plugin, slug wp-structured-data-schema)
All versions up to and including 4.3.2
WordPress sites where the plugin is installed alongside additional plugins or themes containing POP chains

Discovery Timeline

2025-10-03 - CVE-2025-7825 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-7825

Vulnerability Analysis

The flaw is a PHP Object Injection issue categorized under CWE-96: Improper Neutralization of Directives in Statically Saved Code. The vulnerable code path processes user-controlled input passed to the wpt_schema_breadcrumbs shortcode and calls unserialize() on that input without validation. Deserialization of attacker-controlled data instantiates arbitrary PHP objects in the application's memory space.

The vulnerability by itself does not yield code execution because the plugin ships no exploitable magic methods. Impact materializes only when another installed plugin or theme defines a class whose __destruct, __wakeup, or similar magic method performs sensitive operations. Attackers chain these gadgets to escalate the primitive into arbitrary file deletion, information disclosure, or remote code execution.

Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Contributor level or above. Sites that permit self-registration at Contributor level or higher are at elevated risk. The Wordfence Vulnerability Report documents the specific shortcode entry point and affected version range.

Root Cause

The plugin invokes PHP's unserialize() function on data controlled by shortcode attributes. WordPress evaluates shortcodes at render time, so any post or content region that a Contributor can author becomes an injection sink. The absence of input filtering, allow-listing of classes, or use of safer alternatives such as JSON decoding is the direct cause of the flaw.

Attack Vector

An authenticated Contributor creates or edits a post containing the wpt_schema_breadcrumbs shortcode with a crafted attribute value. The attribute carries a serialized PHP object payload that references a class defined by another plugin or theme installed on the target site. When the shortcode is processed, unserialize() reconstructs the object graph and triggers gadget methods, leading to secondary impact such as arbitrary file deletion or code execution.

The vulnerability manifests during shortcode rendering. Refer to the Wordfence Vulnerability Report for the technical breakdown of the vulnerable shortcode handler.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-7825

Indicators of Compromise

Post or page content containing the wpt_schema_breadcrumbs shortcode with attribute values resembling PHP serialized data (patterns beginning with O:, a:, or s: followed by digits and colons).
Unexpected file deletions, new PHP files in upload directories, or outbound network calls originating from the WordPress process shortly after content published by Contributor accounts.
Contributor or Author accounts created or elevated near the time of suspicious post edits.

Detection Strategies

Scan the wp_posts table for post_content values containing wpt_schema_breadcrumbs combined with serialized object markers.
Audit web server access logs for POST requests to /wp-admin/post.php or /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php from Contributor-level accounts followed by rendering of the affected shortcode.
Enable PHP error logging and alert on unserialize() warnings, __destruct errors, or class-not-found exceptions correlating with page requests.

Monitoring Recommendations

Track file integrity across wp-content/, wp-includes/, and WordPress core directories to identify unauthorized file deletion or modification.
Monitor the wp_users and wp_usermeta tables for role escalation events involving Contributor or Author accounts.
Alert on outbound connections from PHP-FPM or Apache worker processes to unfamiliar destinations, indicating post-exploitation activity from an injected object.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-7825

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Schema Plugin For Divi, Gutenberg & Shortcodes to a version later than 4.3.2 as soon as the vendor publishes a fix.
Audit all Contributor, Author, Editor, and Administrator accounts and remove or reset any that are unnecessary or unrecognized.
Inventory installed plugins and themes and remove abandoned or unmaintained components that may contribute POP chain gadgets.

Patch Information

Check the WordPress plugin repository for the current release status. As of the last NVD update, users should confirm the installed version is greater than 4.3.2 and monitor the Wordfence Vulnerability Report for patch confirmation.

Workarounds

Deactivate and remove the plugin until a patched version is confirmed available.
Restrict user registration and revoke Contributor-level or higher privileges from untrusted accounts.
Remove or replace any additional plugins or themes known to contain PHP object injection POP chains, reducing the exploitable surface even if the primitive is triggered.
Deploy a web application firewall rule that inspects post content for the wpt_schema_breadcrumbs shortcode combined with serialized object markers such as O: or a:.