CVE-2025-52737 is a deserialization of untrusted data vulnerability found in the WP Store Locator WordPress plugin developed by Tijmen Smit, affecting all versions up to and including 2.2.260. The vulnerability arises because the plugin improperly handles serialized data inputs, allowing an attacker to inject malicious objects during the deserialization process. This object injection can lead to remote code execution (RCE), enabling attackers to execute arbitrary code on the affected server. The vulnerability requires low privileges (PR:L) but no user interaction (UI:N), and it can be exploited remotely over the network (AV:N). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.8, reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The flaw could allow attackers to compromise sensitive data, alter or delete data, and disrupt service availability. Although no public exploits are currently reported, the nature of the vulnerability and its ease of exploitation make it a critical risk. The plugin is commonly used by WordPress sites to provide store location services, often integrated into e-commerce or retail websites, increasing the attractiveness of this target for attackers. The lack of available patches at the time of disclosure necessitates immediate risk mitigation and monitoring.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant threat, particularly to those operating e-commerce, retail, or service websites using WordPress with the WP Store Locator plugin. Successful exploitation can lead to full system compromise, data breaches involving customer and business data, defacement of websites, and service disruption. This can result in financial losses, reputational damage, and regulatory penalties under GDPR due to unauthorized access or data leakage. The ease of exploitation and lack of required user interaction increase the risk of automated attacks and widespread exploitation. Organizations relying on this plugin for customer-facing services may experience operational downtime and loss of customer trust. Additionally, attackers could leverage compromised servers as footholds for lateral movement within corporate networks, amplifying the impact.

Immediate mitigation steps include: 1) Monitoring official channels for patches or updates from the plugin developer and applying them promptly once available. 2) Temporarily disabling or removing the WP Store Locator plugin if patching is not immediately possible to eliminate the attack surface. 3) Restricting access to the plugin’s functionality by limiting permissions to trusted administrators only, reducing the risk of exploitation by low-privilege users. 4) Implementing Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious serialized data payloads targeting the plugin endpoints. 5) Conducting thorough security audits and monitoring logs for unusual activity indicative of exploitation attempts. 6) Ensuring regular backups are in place to enable recovery in case of compromise. 7) Educating administrators about the risks of deserialization vulnerabilities and the importance of plugin security hygiene. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on immediate containment, access control, and proactive detection tailored to this specific vulnerability.