WpTravelly Plugin Vulnerability Exposes WordPress Sites to Object Injection Attacks

A high-severity vulnerability (CVE-2025-30892) has been identified in the Magepeople WpTravelly WordPress plugin, exposing websites to potential remote code execution through deserialization of untrusted data. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.8.7, with a CVSS score of 8.8 (High). This vulnerability follows a concerning trend of WordPress plugin security issues, which according to MITRE CVE data account for 63% of new CVEs in 2025.

Technical Analysis of CVE-2025-30892

The vulnerability stems from improper handling of serialized data in the WpTravelly plugin, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary PHP objects. When exploited, this can lead to object injection attacks that may result in remote code execution. The specific attack vector involves passing malicious serialized data to vulnerable plugin functions that unserialize input without proper validation. Similar vulnerabilities in other WordPress plugins, such as CVE-2025-26873 in the Traveler Theme, have demonstrated how cookie-based deserialization can be weaponized for unauthenticated attacks.

While the exact proof of concept for WpTravelly hasn’t been publicly disclosed, the general pattern of such vulnerabilities typically involves crafting serialized objects containing dangerous magic methods like __wakeup() or __destruct(). The recent CVE-2025-31087 in WooCommerce’s “Multiple Shipping And Billing Address” plugin shows how PHP object injection can be chained with existing gadget classes to achieve code execution.

Impact and Affected Systems

The vulnerability affects all WordPress installations using WpTravelly version 1.8.7 or earlier. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on the server, potentially leading to complete system compromise. This is particularly concerning for travel websites and booking platforms that commonly use this plugin for itinerary management and booking functionality.

Analysis of similar vulnerabilities suggests that exploitation may not require authentication, making this a particularly dangerous flaw. The recent surge in WordPress plugin vulnerabilities, including CVE-2025-2485 in Contact Form 7 File Upload, demonstrates how attackers are actively targeting these types of flaws in the wild.

Detection and Mitigation

Organizations using WpTravelly should immediately check their plugin version and take the following steps:

Update to the latest patched version if available
Monitor for suspicious activity in server logs, particularly unserialize() operations
Implement web application firewalls with rules to detect serialized object injection attempts
Consider temporary plugin deactivation if updates aren’t available

For PHP applications generally, developers should implement strict input validation and consider alternatives to unserialize(). As demonstrated in the mitigation strategies from recent research, implementing class allowlisting can prevent exploitation:

if (!in_array(get_class($data), ['AllowedClass1', 'AllowedClass2'])) {  
    throw new Exception("Invalid class");  
}

Broader Security Implications

This vulnerability highlights the ongoing risks associated with WordPress plugins, particularly those handling serialized data. The security community has observed increasing sophistication in deserialization attacks, with WordPress being a prime target due to its widespread use and plugin architecture. Recent cases like CVE-2025-26873 show how attackers are leveraging cookie-based triggers, while others like CVE-2025-2485 demonstrate PHAR-based exploitation vectors.

The enterprise security implications are significant, as many organizations use WordPress for customer-facing sites while maintaining connections to backend systems. A compromise through such a vulnerability could serve as an initial foothold for broader network penetration.

Conclusion

CVE-2025-30892 represents a serious threat to WordPress sites using the WpTravelly plugin, with potential for remote code execution. The vulnerability follows a pattern of serialization-related flaws in WordPress plugins that have been increasingly exploited in 2025. Organizations should prioritize patching and implement defensive measures to detect potential exploitation attempts.

As the WordPress ecosystem continues to be a target for attackers, developers and security teams must remain vigilant about plugin security, particularly when handling serialized data. The broader trend of deserialization vulnerabilities across platforms, from WordPress to enterprise Java applications, underscores the need for secure coding practices and robust input validation across all web applications.