CVE-2025-64233 is a critical vulnerability affecting BoldThemes Codiqa, a web development tool, caused by insecure deserialization of untrusted data. This flaw allows attackers to inject malicious objects during the deserialization process, which can lead to remote code execution, privilege escalation, and full system compromise. The vulnerability affects all versions prior to 1.2.8. Since deserialization is a process where data is converted back into objects, if the input is not properly validated or sanitized, attackers can craft malicious payloads that manipulate the application’s logic or execute arbitrary code. The CVSS score of 9.8 reflects the vulnerability’s high impact and ease of exploitation: it requires no authentication, no user interaction, and can be exploited remotely over the network. Although no known exploits have been reported in the wild yet, the critical nature of this vulnerability demands urgent attention. The lack of available patches at the time of publication increases the risk window. This vulnerability can compromise confidentiality by exposing sensitive data, integrity by altering application behavior, and availability by causing denial of service or system crashes.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be severe. Companies relying on BoldThemes Codiqa for website or application development may face remote code execution attacks, leading to data breaches, defacement, or complete system takeover. This can result in loss of customer trust, regulatory penalties under GDPR for data exposure, and operational disruptions. The vulnerability’s ability to be exploited without authentication or user interaction increases the risk of widespread automated attacks. Sectors such as e-commerce, digital agencies, and enterprises with public-facing web applications are particularly vulnerable. The potential for attackers to pivot from compromised systems to internal networks could escalate the damage. Additionally, the reputational damage and financial costs associated with incident response and remediation could be substantial.

To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should immediately upgrade BoldThemes Codiqa to version 1.2.8 or later once available. Until a patch is applied, implement strict input validation and sanitization to prevent malicious serialized objects from being processed. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules designed to detect and block deserialization attack patterns. Conduct code reviews to identify unsafe deserialization practices and refactor code to use safer serialization methods or libraries that enforce type constraints. Limit exposure by restricting network access to the application and monitoring logs for suspicious deserialization attempts. Additionally, implement runtime application self-protection (RASP) solutions to detect and block exploitation attempts in real time. Regularly back up critical data and have an incident response plan ready to minimize damage in case of compromise.