CVE-2022-4265
📋 TL;DR
The Replyable WordPress plugin before version 2.2.10 contains an object injection vulnerability in the prompt_dismiss_notice action. This allows any authenticated user, including low-privilege subscribers, to execute arbitrary code or perform other malicious actions. The vulnerability can also be exploited via CSRF attacks against authenticated users.
💻 Affected Systems
- Replyable WordPress Plugin
📦 What is this software?
Replyable by Gopostmatic
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full site compromise allowing remote code execution, data theft, or complete administrative takeover of the WordPress installation.
Likely Case
Unauthorized code execution leading to backdoor installation, data exfiltration, or privilege escalation within the WordPress environment.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper access controls, WAF rules, and monitoring are in place to detect and block exploitation attempts.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access but can be combined with CSRF to target authenticated users. Proof of concept details are publicly available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2.2.10
Vendor Advisory: https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/095cba08-7edd-41fb-9776-da151c0885dd
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find Replyable plugin and update to version 2.2.10 or later. 4. Verify the update completed successfully.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Replyable Plugin
allTemporarily deactivate the vulnerable plugin until patching is possible
wp plugin deactivate replyable
Restrict User Registration
allDisable new user registration to limit potential attackers
Settings → General → Membership: Uncheck 'Anyone can register'
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block object injection attempts
- Enable strict user access controls and monitor for suspicious authenticated user activity
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel → Plugins → Installed Plugins → Replyable version numberCheck Version:
wp plugin list --name=replyable --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm Replyable plugin version is 2.2.10 or higher in WordPress admin📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- POST requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with action=prompt_dismiss_notice containing unusual class names
- Unexpected PHP object instantiation in logs
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests with malicious serialized objects in POST parameters
- CSRF attempts targeting authenticated user sessions
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND "prompt_dismiss_notice" AND ("O:" OR "C:" OR serialized data patterns)