CVE-2022-3380 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting the WordPress plugin Customizer Export/Import versions prior to 0.9.5. The vulnerability arises from unsafe deserialization of untrusted data, specifically when an administrator imports a file through the plugin's export/import functionality. The plugin unserializes the content of the imported file without sufficient validation or sanitization, which can lead to PHP object injection attacks if a suitable gadget chain exists within the WordPress environment. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-502 (Deserialization of Untrusted Data). Exploiting this flaw requires administrative privileges on the WordPress site and does not require user interaction beyond the import action. Successful exploitation can result in full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected WordPress site, including arbitrary code execution, data theft, or site defacement. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.2, reflecting network attack vector, low attack complexity, high privileges required, no user interaction, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the vulnerability represents a significant risk due to the common use of the Customizer Export/Import plugin for site configuration management and migration.

For European organizations using WordPress sites with the vulnerable Customizer Export/Import plugin, this vulnerability poses a critical risk. If exploited, attackers could gain remote code execution capabilities, leading to data breaches involving sensitive customer or business data, defacement of public-facing websites, or disruption of online services. This can damage brand reputation, result in regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR violations), and cause financial losses. Since exploitation requires admin privileges, the threat is particularly severe in environments where administrative accounts are shared, weakly protected, or compromised through other means. The vulnerability could also be leveraged as a pivot point for lateral movement within an organization's network if the WordPress server is integrated with internal systems. Given the widespread use of WordPress in Europe for both commercial and governmental websites, the impact can be broad and significant.

European organizations should immediately verify if their WordPress installations use the Customizer Export/Import plugin and check the plugin version. Upgrading to version 0.9.5 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed, is the primary mitigation step. If upgrading is not immediately possible, restrict administrative access to trusted personnel only and enforce strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of compromised admin accounts. Additionally, disable or restrict the import functionality temporarily to prevent malicious file imports. Implement web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block suspicious serialized payloads targeting this plugin. Regularly audit WordPress plugins and themes for vulnerabilities and maintain a strict patch management process. Monitoring logs for unusual import activity and anomalous admin behavior can help detect attempted exploitation. Finally, conduct security awareness training for administrators to recognize the risks of importing untrusted files.