Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessAuthenticate as subscriber-level user
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DeliverySubmit crafted serialized PHP object
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ExploitTrigger deserialization / object injection
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ExecutionChain to available POP gadget
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ImpactAchieve code execution or data/file impact
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A08:2025 - Software or Data Integrity Failures
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization Safe deserialization, type allowlists
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, Initial Access The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Requires an authenticated Subscriber-level (or higher) account on a WordPress site running Enable Media Replace <= 4.2.2, so the site must either permit user self-registration ('Anyone can register' enabled) or the attacker must otherwise obtain a low-privilege account. Exploitation sends attacker-controlled serialized data into a vulnerable deserialization path (PHP Object Injection); realized impact additionally depends on a usable POP gadget chain being present in WordPress core, this plugin, or other installed plugins/themes - the available sources do not state the exact vulnerable feature or trigger. Limiting factors: the subscriber authentication requirement (PR:L) excludes fully unauthenticated attackers, and object injection without a reachable gadget chain may yield limited or no impact. |
| Impact | This is a genuine but conditional priority rather than an emergency. The CVSS 3.1 vector (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, 8.8) indicates a network-reachable, low-complexity flaw needing only low privileges (PR:L) and no user interaction, with high confidentiality, integrity and availability impact - consistent with PHP Object Injection (CWE-502). The critical mitigating signal is the 'Subscriber' privilege level: the attacker must hold an authenticated low-privilege account, so sites that do not allow self-registration or that lack subscriber-tier users face a materially higher barrier. Impact for object-injection flaws is also contingent on a usable POP gadget chain being present in WordPress core, this plugin, or other installed plugins/themes; the available sources do not state what the realized impact is, so the C:H/I:H/A:H rating represents worst-case potential, not a demonstrated capability. No EPSS score is provided and the flaw is not in CISA KEV, so there is no evidence of active or widespread exploitation; the vuln.today Decision label is 'this_week', indicating prompt but not emergency remediation. The only reference is a Patchstack advisory database entry, not a working exploit. Net: a high-CVSS flaw whose real-world risk is tempered by the subscriber authentication requirement and gadget-chain dependency, warranting patching this week per the decision signal. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who holds or registers a Subscriber-level account on a WordPress site running Enable Media Replace <= 4.2.2 submits crafted serialized PHP object data to the vulnerable plugin function, triggering deserialization of attacker-controlled objects. If a suitable POP gadget chain exists in the installed WordPress stack, this object injection can escalate to file manipulation, data disclosure, or code execution; the exact trigger is not described in the available sources. No public exploit was identified at time of analysis. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 30, 2026
PHP object injection in the WordPress plugin Enable Media Replace through version 4.2.2 gives authenticated Subscriber-level users a path to high-impact compromise when a usable POP gadget chain is present. The CVSS 3.1 vector is AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, so exposure is limited to sites where an attacker can obtain a low-privilege account, such as sites with user self-registration enabled; the exact vulnerable feature and trigger are not described in the available sources. No public exploit identified at time of analysis and no CISA KEV status is supplied, and the this_week priority label makes this a genuine but conditional priority rather than an emergency.
RemediationAI
The provided sources do not include a vendor-released patch or fixed version, so reduce exposure first by disabling WordPress user self-registration ('Anyone can register') and auditing or removing unnecessary Subscriber-level accounts, because the CVSS PR:L requirement means an attacker needs a low-privilege authenticated account; the trade-off is reduced self-service registration. If Enable Media Replace is not essential, disable or uninstall it until a fixed release is available, accepting the loss of its media replacement workflow. Because realized impact depends on a POP gadget chain, reducing unnecessary plugins and themes can shrink the available gadget surface, though this is not a complete fix. Monitor the Patchstack advisory at https://patchstack.com/database/wordpress/plugin/enable-media-replace/vulnerability/wordpress-enable-media-replace-plugin-4-2-2-php-object-injection-vulnerability?_s_id=cve for an updated plugin release and apply it when available.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
CVE-2026-73186 is a CWE-502 deserialization flaw in ShortPixel's WordPress plugin Enable Media Replace, affecting versions through 4.2.2. The plugin exposes a PHP object injection path in which attacker-controlled serialized data reaches an unsafe deserialization operation; the supplied sources do not identify the exact endpoint, parameter, or code path, so the trigger is not described in the available sources. The CVSS vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H describes a network-reachable issue that requires a low-privileged authenticated account and has high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact if exploitation succeeds. Realized impact depends on a POP gadget chain being present in WordPress core, this plugin, or another installed plugin or theme; object injection without a reachable gadget chain may yield limited or no impact. The CPE cpe:2.3:a:shortpixel:enable_media_replace:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* identifies the plugin as the affected product.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Network-reachable PHP object injection triggerable by a low-privilege subscriber (PR:L) without user interaction; worst-case gadget chain justifies C/I/A:H, scope unchanged.
Primary rating from Vendor (Patchstack).
CVSS VectorVendor: Patchstack
DescriptionCVE.org
Subscriber PHP Object Injection in Enable Media Replace <= 4.2.2 versions.
Executive ViewAI
The WordPress plugin Enable Media Replace (versions through 4.2.2) permits authenticated Subscriber-level users to trigger PHP object injection, which can lead to full site compromise if a usable POP gadget chain is present. This poses a high risk to organizations that allow user self-registration on their WordPress sites, as attackers can easily obtain the necessary low-privilege account. Leadership should prioritize remediation for any public-facing WordPress instances using this plugin, as successful exploitation could result in data theft, site defacement, or further network intrusion.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations include disabling the Enable Media Replace plugin, restricting or disabling user self-registration, limiting Subscriber-level accounts, deploying virtual patching via WAF, and monitoring for anomalous activity from low-privilege users.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Insecure deserialization occurs when an application converts serialized data (a stream of bytes representing an object's state) back into a living object without proper validation.
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EUVD-2026-114294
GHSA-g6cf-mrxg-xvmr
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB