Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessIdentify TYPO3 site with vulnerable extension
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DeliveryLocate page using Persistent Mode: Static
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ExploitCraft serialized PHP gadget chain
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ExecutionSend HTTP request with malicious cookie
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PersistExtension calls unserialize() on cookie
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ImpactGadget chain executes PHP code on server
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 | Exploitation requires that at least one content element on the target TYPO3 site be configured with 'Persistent Mode: Static' in the Content Element Selector plugin settings - this is the AT:P (Attack Requirements: Present) condition captured in the CVSS vector. Beyond that, no authentication (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and only network reachability to the affected page are needed; the attacker delivers the payload as a crafted value in the cookie the extension reads. Sites that have the extension installed but do not use Persistent Mode: Static on any element are not exploitable via this path. |
| Impact | The CVSS 4.0 vector AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H indicates network reach, low attack complexity, no privileges, and no user interaction, with high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability - consistent with a serious unauthenticated RCE. The AT:P (Attack Requirements: Present) flag is important: the vendor confirms exploitation only works when the content element is configured with 'Persistent Mode: Static', which is what tempers the score from a perfect 10 to 9.2 and means non-default deployments are not exploitable. EPSS and CISA KEV status were not provided in the input, and no public exploit identified at time of analysis; however, PHP Object Injection chains in TYPO3 ecosystems have historically been weaponized quickly once disclosed. Net: treat as a high-priority patch where the extension is installed, but inventory configurations first because the AT:P condition meaningfully reduces the exposed population. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker enumerates TYPO3 sites running the Content Element Selector extension and probes pages where a content element uses Persistent Mode: Static. The attacker constructs a PHP serialized payload chaining gadgets from loaded TYPO3 classes, sends a single HTTP request with the malicious value placed in the targeted cookie, and unserialize() instantiates the gadget chain, yielding remote code execution under the web server account with no authentication or user interaction required. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – May 19, 2026
Remote code execution in the TYPO3 'Content Element Selector' extension allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code by sending a crafted cookie that the extension feeds directly into PHP's unserialize(). The flaw (CWE-502, CVSS 4.0 score 9.2) is exploitable only on installations where a content element is configured with 'Persistent Mode: Static'. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, though the deserialization pattern is well-understood and typically rapid to weaponize.
RemediationAI
Patch available per vendor advisory - upgrade the Content Element Selector extension to the fixed release identified in TYPO3-EXT-SA-2026-013 at https://typo3.org/security/advisory/typo3-ext-sa-2026-013 (exact fix version not provided in the supplied data, so consult the advisory). As an interim compensating control, reconfigure any affected content elements away from 'Persistent Mode: Static' to a non-vulnerable persistence mode, which removes the trigger condition described in the advisory at the cost of changing the element's caching/state behavior. If reconfiguration is not feasible, restrict access to the affected pages with WAF rules that strip or reject the relevant cookie on requests to those URLs, accepting that this may break legitimate functionality and is fragile against cookie-name variations.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 2 packages in composer, euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
TYPO3 is a PHP-based enterprise CMS, and the 'Content Element Selector' is a third-party extension (CPE cpe:2.3:a:typo3:extension_"content_element_selector") used to manage selectable content elements within pages. The root cause is CWE-502 (Deserialization of Untrusted Data): the extension reads an attacker-controlled cookie value and passes it directly into PHP's unserialize() function. In PHP, unserialize() instantiates objects and invokes magic methods such as __wakeup() and __destruct(); when combined with classes present in TYPO3 core or other loaded extensions, this creates a POP (Property-Oriented Programming) gadget chain that can be steered toward arbitrary code execution. This is the same class of bug behind numerous historical PHP RCEs and is structurally hard to mitigate without removing the unserialize() call or migrating to a safe format such as JSON.
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- Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Primary rating from Vendor (TYPO3) · only source for this CVE.
CVSS VectorVendor: TYPO3
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
The extension passes an attacker-controlled cookie directly to PHP's unserialize() without safely processing the input. A remote, unauthenticated attacker can supply a crafted serialized payload to trigger PHP Object Injection, leading to Remote Code Execution on the TYPO3 server. Exploitation requires the content element to be configured with "Persistent Mode: Static" in the plugin settings.
Executive ViewAI
TYPO3 installations running the 'Content Element Selector' extension (CVE-2026-46725, CVSS 9.2) face critical unauthenticated remote code execution risk via a PHP deserialization flaw, with no vendor patch currently available. Attackers need only send a crafted cookie to compromise affected servers completely, exposing organizations to data theft, service disruption, and potential lateral movement into critical systems. Organizations must inventory vulnerable deployments and deploy compensating controls immediately, as the exploitation technique is well-understood and likely to be weaponized rapidly.
Disable 'Content Element Selector' extension immediately; deploy WAF rules blocking serialized PHP object patterns in HTTP cookie headers; restrict network access to TYPO3 instances to internal IP ranges and known administrative networks only; configure application-level PHP deserialization attack detection; enable enhanced logging on all cookie processing and unserialize() function calls.
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.
Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.
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EUVD-2026-30865
GHSA-8x3j-439w-537c
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB