dbcve.org
Shortcodes And Extra Features For Phlox ThemeWordPress extension · Averta

CVE-2022-3359

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-12-12
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.10.7 or later.
See remediation →
95/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The Shortcodes and extra features for Phlox theme WordPress plugin before 2.10.7 unserializes the content of an imported file, which could lead to PHP object injection when a user imports (intentionally or not) a malicious file and a suitable gadget chain is present on the blog.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The Phlox theme plugin before 2.10.7 uses PHP unserialize() on imported file content without proper validation. This unsafe deserialization allows PHP object injection when a user imports a crafted malicious file, potentially leading to remote code execution if a suitable gadget chain exists in the WordPress environment.

MitigationUpdate the Phlox plugin to version 2.10.7 or later, which replaces unsafe unserialize() with json_decode(). Until patched, disable file import features and avoid importing demo content from untrusted sources.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Shortcodes And Extra Features For Phlox ThemeWordPress extension
Affected:< 2.10.7

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Phlox plugin version
    Locate the Phlox theme plugin (Averta Shortcodes And Extra Features For Phlox Theme) in your WordPress installation and check the version number in the plugin header or readme.txt file
    Affected if The installed version is below 2.10.7
  2. Verify import feature presence
    Check if the demo content or file import functionality is available in the WordPress admin panel under the Phlox theme settings or plugin options
    Affected if The import feature is enabled and accessible to users
  3. Inspect recent import activity
    Review any recently imported demo content files or uploaded XML/JSON files in the uploads directory that may have been imported through the Phlox import feature
    Affected if Any imported demo content files exist from untrusted sources or show unexpected file modifications
  4. Check for unsafe deserialization usage
    If you have code access, search the plugin files for unserialize() calls on imported file data, particularly in import-related PHP files
    Affected if The plugin code contains unserialize() calls handling imported file content without prior validation

You are affected if the Phlox plugin version is below 2.10.7 and the file import functionality is active in your environment.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2.10.7 or later
Fixed in 2.10.7
Interim mitigation

Update the Phlox plugin to version 2.10.7 or later, which replaces unsafe unserialize() with json_decode(). Until patched, disable file import features and avoid importing demo content from untrusted sources.

Recommended fix High confidence

2.10.7

  1. Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Locate the 'Shortcodes And Extra Features For Phlox Theme' plugin
  4. Check the current version number
  5. If version is below 2.10.7, click 'Update Now' to upgrade to the latest version
  6. Alternatively, download version 2.10.7 or later from the WordPress plugin repository and upload manually
  7. After update, verify the new version number reflects 2.10.7 or higher
  8. Test that the plugin functionality still works correctly
Caveat Security patch update; minimal risk but test plugin functionality after upgrade

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Shortcodes And Extra Features For Phlox Theme Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,920
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,072.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-3359 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data