Unauthenticated PHP Object Injection in Everest Forms

Executive Summary

This is an unauthenticated PHP Object Injection vulnerability in the Everest Forms WordPress plugin versions 3.6.0 and below. It allows attackers to inject malicious PHP objects into the application, potentially leading to code execution, SQL injection, or other attacks if a suitable POP chain exists.

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Detection Guidance

Detecting this vulnerability requires checking if the Everest Forms plugin version 3.6.0 or below is installed on your WordPress site. You can do this by logging into your WordPress admin dashboard, navigating to the Plugins section, and checking the version of the Everest Forms plugin. Alternatively, you can use command-line tools like grep to search for the plugin in your WordPress installation directory. For example, run: grep -r 'Everest Forms' /path/to/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/

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Impact Analysis

An attacker could exploit this to execute arbitrary code, steal sensitive data, modify database contents, or cause denial of service on your website. Since it requires no authentication, any unpatched site is at high risk of compromise.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized data access or modification, violating GDPR (data protection) and HIPAA (health data security) requirements. A breach may result in legal penalties, fines, or reputational damage due to non-compliance.

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Mitigation Strategies

Immediately update the Everest Forms plugin to version 3.6.1 or later. If updating is not possible, apply the mitigation rule provided by Patchstack to block attacks until the update is applied. You can also seek assistance from your hosting provider or a developer to ensure proper mitigation.

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