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Deserialization of Untrusted DataWeakness · CWE-502

CVE-2026-7654

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-06-05
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

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 Admin Columns plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to PHP Object Injection leading to Remote Code Execution in versions up to and including 7.0.18. This is due to the use of `unserialize()` without an `allowed_classes` restriction in the `IdsToCollection::get_ids_from_string()` function, which processes attacker-controlled post meta values without proper validation. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access and above to inject a serialized PHP object into a post's custom meta field and trigger arbitrary code execution by exploiting a bundled POP gadget chain, resulting in remote code execution as the web server user.

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 Admin Columns WordPress plugin up to 7.0.18 uses unsafe unserialize() in the IdsToCollection::get_ids_from_string() function without an allowed_classes restriction. Authenticated contributors+ can inject a serialized PHP object into post meta fields, which the plugin then deserializes, triggering a POP gadget chain for RCE as the web server user.

MitigationUpdate Admin Columns plugin to version 7.0.19 or later. Additionally, review and sanitize any custom post meta values that might contain serialized data, and limit contributor-level user capabilities until the patch is applied.

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

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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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. Confirm Admin Columns plugin is installed
    In WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and look for 'Admin Columns' or check the plugin files in /wp-content/plugins/code-admin-columns/ for a version file
    Affected if Plugin is not installed (not affected)
  2. Identify installed plugin version
    Check the plugin version number in the Plugins list page or read the main plugin file header for 'Version: x.x.x'
    Affected if Version is 7.0.18 or earlier (vulnerable)
  3. Verify user roles with post meta edit access
    Review WordPress user roles (Users > All Users) and check if any users have Contributor role or higher who can edit posts and their meta fields
    Affected if Users with Contributor role or higher exist and can access post meta editing (exploitable)
  4. Check for exposed post meta values
    Query the wp_postmeta table for meta keys used by Admin Columns plugin: SELECT meta_key FROM wp_postmeta GROUP BY meta_key LIMIT 50
    Affected if Meta keys from Admin Columns plugin exist in the database (potential injection point present)

User is affected if Admin Columns plugin version is 7.0.18 or earlier AND users with Contributor-level or higher access exist who can edit post meta fields.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update Admin Columns plugin to version 7.0.19 or later. Additionally, review and sanitize any custom post meta values that might contain serialized data, and limit contributor-level user capabilities until the patch is applied.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest version of Admin Columns plugin (newer than 7.0.18)

  1. 1. Navigate to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. 2. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. 3. Locate the Admin Columns plugin
  4. 4. Check if an update is available and update to the latest version
  5. 5. Verify the update completed successfully
  6. 6. Test that the plugin functionality remains intact

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,720
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,752.

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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-2026-7654 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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