CVE-2025-53243 HIGH

CVE-2025-53243: WordPress Employee Directory – Staff Listing & Team Directory plugin for WordPress plugin <= 4.5.5 - PHP Object Injection vulnerability

Vendor Emarket-Design
Product Employee Directory – Staff Listing & Team Directory Plugin for WordPress
Weakness CWE-502 · Unsafe deserialization
Published August 28, 2025
Last update April 28, 2026

CVSS base score

8.1/10
Attack vector Network
Attack complexity High
Privileges required None
User interaction None
Confidentiality High
Integrity High

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

What the vulnerability does

01Description

Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in emarket-design Employee Directory – Staff Listing & Team Directory Plugin for WordPress employee-directory allows Object Injection.This issue affects Employee Directory – Staff Listing & Team Directory Plugin for WordPress: from n/a through <= 4.5.5.

Explanation of Vulnerability in Simple Terms

02Summary

The Employee Directory plugin for WordPress contains a deserialization vulnerability in versions up to 4.5.5. An attacker can send a specially crafted request over the network to deserialize untrusted data, potentially running their own code on the site. No authentication or user interaction is required. Sites running affected versions should update immediately.

What an attacker can do

03Attacker Capabilities

Run arbitrary code on the site and take full control of it.

Potential impact on your site

04Site Impact

Complete site compromise: attacker can steal data, modify content, create admin accounts, or deface the site.

Conditions required to exploit

05Prerequisites

Network access to the site; no authentication or user interaction needed.

Key dates

06Disclosure timeline

August 28, 2025 CVE published
April 28, 2026 Record updated