Overview
A security vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-9191, has been discovered in the Houzez theme for WordPress. This vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 4.1.6. It stems from a PHP Object Injection flaw within the saved-search-item.php file, caused by the deserialization of untrusted input. While the Houzez theme itself doesn’t contain a readily exploitable POP chain, the presence of one in another plugin or theme could significantly amplify the risk.
Technical Details
The vulnerability resides in the way the Houzez theme handles user-provided data during the processing of saved searches. Specifically, the saved-search-item.php file deserializes potentially malicious data without proper sanitization. This allows an authenticated attacker (Subscriber-level access and above) to inject a PHP Object.
PHP Object Injection vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous when combined with a “POP chain” (Property-Oriented Programming chain). A POP chain is a sequence of PHP classes and methods that, when triggered by deserializing a malicious object, can lead to arbitrary code execution, file deletion, or other severe actions. Crucially, the Houzez theme itself does not include a known POP chain. However, if another plugin or theme installed on the same WordPress site *does* contain a suitable POP chain, an attacker could leverage this vulnerability to achieve code execution.
CVSS Analysis
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) assigns this vulnerability a score of 6.3, classifying it as MEDIUM severity.
- CVSS Score: 6.3
- Vector: (Details not provided but typically involves network access and user interaction)
While a score of 6.3 might seem moderate, it’s important to understand that the actual impact depends heavily on the presence of other plugins or themes. If a POP chain exists elsewhere on the system, the risk escalates dramatically.
Possible Impact
The impact of CVE-2025-9191 varies depending on whether a suitable POP chain is present on the target system. Without a POP chain, the vulnerability has limited direct impact. However, with a POP chain present, an attacker could potentially:
- Delete Arbitrary Files: Remove critical system files, leading to website malfunction.
- Retrieve Sensitive Data: Gain access to confidential information, such as database credentials or user data.
- Execute Code: Run arbitrary PHP code on the server, granting the attacker complete control over the website.
Mitigation/Patch Steps
The recommended course of action is to update the Houzez theme to the latest version as soon as possible. The vulnerability has been addressed in versions released after 4.1.6.
- Update Houzez Theme: Log in to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to “Appearance” -> “Themes”. Check for available updates for the Houzez theme. If an update is available, install it immediately.
- Monitor for Suspicious Activity: Keep an eye on your website’s logs for any unusual activity that might indicate an attempted exploit.
- Consider a Security Plugin: Utilize a reputable WordPress security plugin with vulnerability scanning capabilities to detect and alert you to potential security threats.
