wpDataTables < 2.1.66 – Admin+ PHP Object Injection | CVE 2023-4314

Description

The plugin does not validate the "Serialized PHP array" input data before deserializing the data. This allows admins to deserialize arbitrary data which may lead to remote code execution if a suitable gadget chain is present on the server. This is impactful in environments where admin users should not be allowed to execute arbitrary code, such as multisite.

Proof of Concept

1. Include the following PHP code on your site to simulate a Gadget.

class Evil {
	function __wakeup() {
		die('Arbitrary deserialization');
	}
}

2. Host the following payload at a publicly accessible URL (e.g. pastebin).

O:4:"Evil":0:{};

3. In WP Admin, visit wpDataTables > Create a Table.

4. Click "Create a data table linked to an existing data source." and click "Next"

5. In "Input data source type" choose "Serialized PHP array", and in "Input file path or URL" choose the URL from step 2.

6. Click "Save Changes" and see the Arbitrary Deserialization message.