CVE-2024-52443
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a PHP object injection vulnerability in the Geolocator WordPress plugin caused by unsafe deserialization of untrusted data. Attackers can exploit this to execute arbitrary code, potentially compromising the entire WordPress site. All WordPress sites using Geolocator versions up to 1.1 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- WordPress Geolocator Plugin
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete server compromise leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or use as a foothold for lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Remote code execution allowing attackers to deface websites, install backdoors, steal sensitive data, or create administrative accounts.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper network segmentation, web application firewalls, and least privilege principles are implemented.
🎯 Exploit Status
Public exploit details are available on Patchstack and other security databases, making exploitation straightforward for attackers.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.2 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/geolocator/wordpress-geolocator-plugin-1-1-php-object-injection-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find Geolocator and update to version 1.2 or later. 4. If update not available, deactivate and delete the plugin immediately.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Geolocator Plugin
allTemporarily deactivate the vulnerable plugin to prevent exploitation.
wp plugin deactivate geolocator
Web Application Firewall Rule
allBlock requests containing serialized PHP objects targeting Geolocator endpoints.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Deactivate and remove the Geolocator plugin from all WordPress installations.
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate WordPress servers from critical internal systems.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel under Plugins > Installed Plugins for Geolocator version 1.1 or earlier.Check Version:
wp plugin get geolocator --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm Geolocator plugin is updated to version 1.2 or later, or verify the plugin is completely removed.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to Geolocator endpoints
- PHP errors related to unserialize() or object injection
- Unexpected file creation in wp-content/uploads
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests containing serialized PHP objects (O: or a: patterns) to Geolocator paths
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND ("geolocator" AND ("unserialize" OR "O:" OR "a:"))