CVE-2024-13789 is a critical vulnerability classified as CWE-502 (Deserialization of Untrusted Data) affecting the ravpage plugin for WordPress, versions up to and including 2.31. The flaw arises from unsafe deserialization of user-supplied data in the 'paramsv2' parameter, which allows unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary PHP objects. However, the vulnerability alone does not directly lead to exploitation because the ravpage plugin lacks a gadget POP (Property Oriented Programming) chain necessary to trigger malicious behavior. Exploitation depends on the presence of additional plugins or themes installed on the WordPress site that contain such POP chains. When combined, attackers can leverage these chains to perform dangerous actions such as arbitrary file deletion, sensitive data disclosure, or remote code execution. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, reflecting its critical nature: it can be exploited remotely over the network without authentication or user interaction, and it impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Although no known exploits are currently in the wild, the potential for severe damage is high, especially on sites with complex plugin/theme environments. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed on February 20, 2025, and no official patches are currently available, increasing the urgency for mitigation through other means.

The impact of CVE-2024-13789 is potentially severe for organizations running WordPress sites with the ravpage plugin installed alongside other plugins or themes that contain exploitable POP chains. Successful exploitation can lead to full system compromise, including arbitrary code execution, which may allow attackers to take control of the web server, deface websites, steal sensitive customer or business data, delete critical files, or use the compromised server as a foothold for further attacks within the network. This can result in significant operational disruption, reputational damage, regulatory penalties, and financial loss. Since the vulnerability requires no authentication or user interaction, it is highly accessible to remote attackers scanning for vulnerable WordPress instances. The lack of an official patch increases the risk window, making timely mitigation critical. Organizations with complex WordPress environments that include multiple plugins and themes are at greater risk due to the increased likelihood of POP chains being present.

1. Immediately disable or remove the ravpage plugin from all WordPress installations until an official patch is released. 2. Conduct a thorough audit of all installed plugins and themes to identify and remove or update any that contain known POP chains or unsafe deserialization patterns. 3. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious requests targeting the 'paramsv2' parameter or unusual serialized data payloads. 4. Restrict access to WordPress admin and plugin endpoints using IP whitelisting or VPNs to reduce exposure. 5. Monitor web server and application logs for unusual deserialization attempts or PHP object injection indicators. 6. Keep all WordPress core, plugins, and themes up to date with the latest security patches. 7. Employ security plugins that can detect and prevent PHP object injection or deserialization vulnerabilities. 8. Consider isolating WordPress instances in segmented network zones to limit lateral movement if compromise occurs. 9. Prepare incident response plans specifically for web application compromises involving deserialization attacks.