What the vulnerability does
01Description
The Friends plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to PHP Object Injection in version 3.5.1 via deserialization of untrusted input of the query_vars parameter This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to inject a PHP Object. No known POP chain is present in the vulnerable software, which means this vulnerability has no impact unless another plugin or theme containing a POP chain is installed on the site. If a POP chain is present via an additional plugin or theme installed on the target system, it may allow the attacker to perform actions like delete arbitrary files, retrieve sensitive data, or execute code depending on the POP chain present. This requires access to the sites SALT_NONCE and and SALT_KEY to exploit.
Explanation of Vulnerability in Simple Terms
02Summary
The Friends plugin for WordPress contains a deserialization vulnerability in versions 3.5.1 and earlier. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can supply malicious serialized data that the plugin deserializes without proper validation. This can lead to arbitrary code execution, data theft, or site compromise. Update to a version newer than 3.5.1 to resolve the issue.
What an attacker can do
03Attacker Capabilities
Run arbitrary code on the site, read sensitive data, or modify site content.
Potential impact on your site
04Site Impact
An authenticated user with low privileges can compromise your entire WordPress installation.
Conditions required to exploit
05Prerequisites
Attacker must have a low-privilege WordPress account (e.g., subscriber or contributor role).
Key dates
06Disclosure timeline
July 12, 2025
CVE published
July 14, 2025
Record updated
