high CVSS 7.2 EPSS 0.69%

CVE-2025-1971·PHP vulnerability

The Export and Import Users and Customers plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to PHP Object Injection in all versions up to, and including, 2.6.2 via deserialization of untrusted input from the 'form_data' parameter. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Administrator-level access and above, to inject a PHP Object. No known POP chain is present in the vulnerable software, which means this vulnerability has no impact unless another plugin or theme containing a POP chain is installed on the site. If a POP chain is present via an additional plugin or theme installed on the target system, it may allow the attacker to perform actions like delete arbitrary files, retrieve sensitive data, or execute code depending on the POP chain present.

Severity
high
Software
PHP
Fixed in
2.6.3
Published

How likely is exploitation

FIRST's Exploit Prediction Scoring System puts the probability of this CVE being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.69% — higher than 48% of all published CVEs. EPSS is an independent forecast of exploitation, not a severity rating: it says nothing about how much damage a successful attack does, which is what a CVSS score measures.

Read the two together. CVE-2025-1971 scores 7.2 on CVSS, so a successful attack would be serious — but at 0.69%, almost nobody is currently attempting it. That is a different situation from a flaw under mass exploitation, and it is usually the difference between patching on your next maintenance window and patching tonight.

Affected versions

Until: 2.6.3

Fixed in: 2.6.3

How to fix this CVE

Update the Export and Import Users and Customers plugin to version 2.6.3 or later to patch the PHP Object Injection vulnerability in the form_data parameter deserialization. This vulnerability requires administrator-level access and a secondary POP chain from another plugin to pose an active threat, making timely patching essential for sites with multiple extensions installed.

sudo dnf update php

Defensia detects this vulnerability

WAF mitigation (if patching is not yet possible)

Add this rule to your WAF to block exploitation attempts while you schedule the patch. 

Restrict POST requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php endpoints that handle form_data serialized input; implement input validation to reject any requests containing 'O:' patterns indicating serialized PHP objects; log and alert on deserialization attempts in WordPress admin AJAX handlers.

How to check if you are affected

  1. Check installed plugin version: Log into WordPress admin → Plugins → Search for 'Export and Import Users and Customers' and note the current version displayed
  2. Verify PHP version: Run 'php -v' on the server command line to confirm PHP runtime version
  3. Inspect form_data parameter handling: Review WordPress debug logs for any deserialization warnings by enabling WP_DEBUG in wp-config.php and checking debug.log for 'unserialize' warnings
  4. Confirm patch application: After updating to 2.6.3, re-check the plugin version in WordPress admin and verify form_data parameter validation is enforced in /admin/modules/import/classes/class-import-ajax.php

FAQ

What is CVE-2025-1971?

CVE-2025-1971 is a PHP Object Injection vulnerability in the Export and Import Users and Customers WordPress plugin that allows authenticated administrators to inject arbitrary PHP objects through the form_data parameter. The vulnerability itself has no direct impact unless another installed plugin or theme contains an exploitable gadget chain (POP chain) that can be leveraged.

Is CVE-2025-1971 being actively exploited?

No, CVE-2025-1971 is not listed on the CISA KEV catalog and has no known public exploits available. However, the vulnerability should still be patched promptly as it provides an attack vector for skilled threat actors if supplementary vulnerable code exists on the site.

What versions of the Export and Import Users and Customers plugin are affected by CVE-2025-1971?

All versions up to and including 2.6.2 are vulnerable. Version 2.6.3 and later contain the fix.

How do I check if my WordPress site is vulnerable to CVE-2025-1971?

Log into your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Plugins, find 'Export and Import Users and Customers', and verify the version number is 2.6.2 or earlier. You can also use the WordPress REST API or WP-CLI command: wp plugin list | grep export-import-users

Does Defensia detect CVE-2025-1971?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If the Export and Import Users and Customers plugin is installed on a monitored WordPress site, CVE-2025-1971 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps and version checks.

Related PHP CVEs

CVE-2026-39337CVSS 10ChurchCRM is an open-source church management system. Prior to 7.1.0, critical pre-authentication remote code execution vulnerability in ChurchCRM's setup wizard allows unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary PHP code during the initial installation process, leading to complete server compromise. The "$dbPassword" variable is not sanitized. This vulnerability exists due to an incomplete fix for CVE-2025-62521. This vulnerability is fixed in 7.1.0.
CVE-2026-28289CVSS 10FreeScout is a free help desk and shared inbox built with PHP's Laravel framework. A patch bypass vulnerability for CVE-2026-27636 in FreeScout 1.8.206 and earlier allows any authenticated user with file upload permissions to achieve Remote Code Execution (RCE) on the server by uploading a malicious .htaccess file using a zero-width space character prefix to bypass the security check. The vulnerability exists in the sanitizeUploadedFileName() function in app/Http/Helper.php. The function contains a Time-of-Check to Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) flaw where the dot-prefix check occurs before sanitization removes invisible characters. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.8.207.
CVE-2025-46348CVSS 10YesWiki is a wiki system written in PHP. Prior to version 4.5.4, the request to commence a site backup can be performed and downloaded without authentication. The archives are created with a predictable filename, so a malicious user could create and download an archive without being authenticated. This could result in a malicious attacker making numerous requests to create archives and fill up the file system, or by downloading the archive which contains sensitive site information. This issue has been patched in version 4.5.4.
CVE-2024-5932CVSS 10The GiveWP – Donation Plugin and Fundraising Platform plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to PHP Object Injection in all versions up to, and including, 3.14.1 via deserialization of untrusted input from the 'give_title' parameter. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject a PHP Object. The additional presence of a POP chain allows attackers to execute code remotely, and to delete arbitrary files.
CVE-2025-47916CVSS 10Invision Community 5.0.0 before 5.0.7 allows remote code execution via crafted template strings to themeeditor.php. The issue lies within the themeeditor controller (file: /applications/core/modules/front/system/themeeditor.php), where a protected method named customCss can be invoked by unauthenticated users. This method passes the value of the content parameter to the Theme::makeProcessFunction() method; hence it is evaluated by the template engine. Accordingly, this can be exploited by unauthenticated attackers to inject and execute arbitrary PHP code by providing crafted template strings.

References

Track CVEs across your fleet automatically

Defensia scans your Linux servers and tells you exactly which ones are running vulnerable versions — including CVE-2025-1971. Free for 1 server.

Get started free