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CVE-2018-20148

In WordPress before 4.9.9 and 5.x before 5.0.1, contributors could conduct PHP object injection...

9.8 CriticalPublic exploitFix available

In WordPress before 4.9.9 and 5.x before 5.0.1, contributors could conduct PHP object injection attacks via crafted metadata in a wp.getMediaItem XMLRPC call. This is caused by mishandling of serialized data at phar:// URLs in the wp_get_attachment_thumb_file function in wp-includes/post.php.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Exploit likelihood

26.8%Up 24.5 points since Apr 14, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 9.8

In WordPress before 4.9.9 and 5.x before 5.0.1, contributors could conduct PHP object injection attacks via crafted metadata in a wp.getMediaItem XMLRPC call. This is caused by mishandling of serialized data at phar:// URLs in the wp_get_attachment_thumb_file function in wp-includes/post.php.

Record
CVE-2018-20148
CVSS 3.0
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS 2.0
7.5 HighAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Weakness
CWE-502
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

In WordPress before 4.9.9 and 5.x before 5.0.1, contributors could conduct PHP object injection attacks via crafted metadata in a wp.getMediaItem XMLRPC call. This is caused by mishandling of serialized data at phar:// URLs in the wp_get_attachment_thumb_file function in wp-includes/post.php.

Record
CVE-2018-20148
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2018-12717 No score

In WordPress before 4.9.9 and 5.x before 5.0.1, contributors could conduct PHP object injection attacks via crafted metadata in a wp.getMediaItem XMLRPC call. This is caused by mishandling of serialized data at phar:// URLs in the wp_get_attachment_thumb_file function in wp-includes/post.php.

Record
EUVD-2018-12717
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-jgj7-cghf-2wq9 9.8

In WordPress before 4.9.9 and 5.x before 5.0.1, contributors could conduct PHP object injection...

In WordPress before 4.9.9 and 5.x before 5.0.1, contributors could conduct PHP object injection attacks via crafted metadata in a wp.getMediaItem XMLRPC call. This is caused by mishandling of serialized data at phar:// URLs in the wp_get_attachment_thumb_file function in wp-includes/post.php.

Record
GHSA-jgj7-cghf-2wq9
CVSS 3.0
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-502
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 9.8

In WordPress before 4.9.9 and 5.x before 5.0.1, contributors could conduct PHP object injection attacks via crafted metadata in a wp.getMediaItem XMLRPC call. This is caused by mishandling of serialized data at phar:// URLs in the wp_get_attachment_thumb_file function in wp-includes/post.php.

Record
CVE-2018-20148
CVSS 3.0
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2018-20148 9.8

In WordPress before 4.9.9 and 5.x before 5.0.1, contributors could conduct PHP object injection attacks via crafted metadata in a wp.getMediaItem XMLRPC call. This is caused by mishandling of serialized data at phar:// URLs in the wp_get_attachment_thumb_file function in wp-includes/post.php.

Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2018-20148
CVSS 3.0
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2018-20148 9.8

In WordPress before 4.9.9 and 5.x before 5.0.1, contributors could conduct PHP object injection attacks via crafted metadata in a wp.getMediaItem XMLRPC call. This is caused by mishandling of serialized data at phar:// URLs in the wp_get_attachment_thumb_file function in wp-includes/post.php.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2018-20148
CVSS 3.0
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
wordpress
Debian:12
 before 5.0.1+dfsg1-1
5.0.1+dfsg1-1
wordpress
Debian:13
 before 5.0.1+dfsg1-1
5.0.1+dfsg1-1
wordpress
Debian:14
 before 5.0.1+dfsg1-1
5.0.1+dfsg1-1
wordpress
Debian:8
 before 4.1.25+dfsg-1+deb8u1, plus listed versions
4.1+dfsg-14.1+dfsg-1+deb8u14.1+dfsg-1+deb8u104.1+dfsg-1+deb8u114.1+dfsg-1+deb8u12
Show 15 moreShow less
4.1+dfsg-1+deb8u134.1+dfsg-1+deb8u144.1+dfsg-1+deb8u154.1+dfsg-1+deb8u164.1+dfsg-1+deb8u174.1+dfsg-1+deb8u184.1+dfsg-1+deb8u24.1+dfsg-1+deb8u34.1+dfsg-1+deb8u44.1+dfsg-1+deb8u54.1+dfsg-1+deb8u64.1+dfsg-1+deb8u74.1+dfsg-1+deb8u84.1+dfsg-1+deb8u94.1.1+dfsg-1
4.1.25+dfsg-1+deb8u1
wordpress
Debian:9
 before 4.7.5+dfsg-2+deb9u5, plus listed versions
4.7.5+dfsg-24.7.5+dfsg-2+deb9u14.7.5+dfsg-2+deb9u1~bpo8+14.7.5+dfsg-2+deb9u24.7.5+dfsg-2+deb9u2~bpo8+14.7.5+dfsg-2+deb9u34.7.5+dfsg-2+deb9u4
4.7.5+dfsg-2+deb9u5
wordpress
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS
 All versions, plus listed versions
4.3+dfsg-14.3.1+dfsg-14.4+dfsg-14.4.1+dfsg-14.4.2+dfsg-14.4.2+dfsg-1ubuntu1
 None known
wordpress
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS
 All versions, plus listed versions
4.8.2+dfsg-24.8.3+dfsg-14.9.1+dfsg-14.9.2+dfsg-14.9.4+dfsg-14.9.5+dfsg1-1
 None known

Public exploits

Links only. Every CVE stores no exploit code.

Public exploits
SourceLinkDate
PoC in GitHubnth347/CVE-2018-20148_exploit2021-11-16

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV, PoC in GitHub

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2018-20148 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.8) in Wordpress, published December 14, 2018. Public exploit code exists. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 26.8%, the 98th percentile. Fixed in wordpress 5.0.1+dfsg1-1.

References

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