CVE-2024-7561 is a deserialization vulnerability categorized under CWE-502 affecting The Next WordPress theme developed by shahriar0822. The flaw arises from unsafe deserialization of untrusted input originating from the wpeden_post_meta post meta value, which is accessible to authenticated users with Contributor-level permissions or higher. This allows these users to inject arbitrary PHP objects into the application’s execution context. While The Next theme itself does not contain a known POP chain to directly exploit this injection for code execution or file manipulation, the presence of other plugins or themes that provide such chains could enable attackers to leverage this vulnerability to perform destructive actions such as arbitrary file deletion, sensitive data disclosure, or remote code execution. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network without user interaction but requires authentication with low privileges, making it a significant threat in multi-user WordPress environments. The CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8 reflects the ease of exploitation combined with the potential for severe impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems. No patches or official fixes are currently linked, so mitigation relies on access control and monitoring.

The impact of CVE-2024-7561 is substantial for organizations running WordPress sites with The Next theme installed, especially those allowing Contributor-level or higher access to untrusted users. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized deletion of files, exposure of sensitive information, or full remote code execution if combined with other vulnerable components providing POP chains. This threatens the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected WordPress sites, potentially resulting in data breaches, website defacement, service disruption, and loss of user trust. Since WordPress powers a significant portion of the web, including many business, government, and personal sites, the vulnerability poses a widespread risk. Attackers could leverage compromised accounts to escalate privileges or pivot to other parts of the network, increasing the overall security risk to organizations worldwide.

To mitigate CVE-2024-7561, organizations should first restrict Contributor-level and higher permissions to trusted users only, minimizing the risk of malicious object injection. Implement strict access controls and monitor user activities for suspicious behavior. Disable or remove The Next theme if it is not actively used or replace it with a secure alternative. Regularly audit installed plugins and themes to identify and update or remove those that may provide exploitable POP chains, reducing the risk of chained exploitation. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules designed to detect and block PHP object injection attempts. Monitor logs for unusual deserialization activity or errors related to wpeden_post_meta. Finally, maintain regular backups and have an incident response plan ready to recover from potential exploitation. Until an official patch is released, these steps are critical to reduce exposure.