CVE-2022-4489 – The HUSKY WordPress plugin before version 1.3.2... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-4489?

CVE-2022-4489 has a CVSS score of 7.2 (HIGH). The HUSKY WordPress plugin before version 1.3.2 contains a PHP Object Injection vulnerability due to unsafe deserialization of user input in settings. This allows authenticated administrators to execute arbitrary code when a suitable gadget chain exists. Only WordPress sites with the vulnerable plugin installed and admin users are affected.

📋 TL;DR

The HUSKY WordPress plugin before version 1.3.2 contains a PHP Object Injection vulnerability due to unsafe deserialization of user input in settings. This allows authenticated administrators to execute arbitrary code when a suitable gadget chain exists. Only WordPress sites with the vulnerable plugin installed and admin users are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

HUSKY WordPress Plugin

Versions: All versions before 1.3.2

Operating Systems: All

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires WordPress installation with HUSKY plugin and admin-level access.

📦 What is this software?

Husky Products Filter Professional For Woocommerce by Pluginus

View all CVEs affecting Husky Products Filter Professional For Woocommerce →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Full server compromise leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or complete site takeover via remote code execution.

🟠

Likely Case

Administrator account compromise leading to privilege escalation, backdoor installation, or data manipulation.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact with proper access controls, though still presents risk if admin credentials are compromised.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires admin access and knowledge of available gadget chains in the WordPress environment.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 1.3.2

Vendor Advisory: https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/067573f2-b1e6-49a9-8c5b-f91e3b9d722f

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find HUSKY plugin. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. Alternatively, download version 1.3.2+ from WordPress repository and manually update.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable HUSKY Plugin

linux

Temporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patching is possible.

wp plugin deactivate husky

Restrict Admin Access

all

Implement strict access controls and monitoring for admin accounts.

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block serialized object payloads
Enable strict file integrity monitoring and limit admin account usage

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > HUSKY version. If version is below 1.3.2, system is vulnerable.

Check Version:

wp plugin get husky --field=version

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm HUSKY plugin version is 1.3.2 or higher in WordPress admin panel.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unusual admin activity patterns
POST requests containing serialized PHP objects to plugin settings endpoints

Network Indicators:

HTTP requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with serialized data in parameters

SIEM Query:

source="wordpress" AND (uri_path="/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php" AND (request_body LIKE "%O:%" OR request_body LIKE "%a:%"))

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-4489

CVSS v3 Score: 7.2 (HIGH)

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

Published: February 6, 2023

Last Updated: March 25, 2025

🔗 References

https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/067573f2-b1e6-49a9-8c5b-f91e3b9d722f Exploit,Third Party Advisory
https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/067573f2-b1e6-49a9-8c5b-f91e3b9d722f Exploit,Third Party Advisory

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