# CVE-2017-20208: RegistrationMagic - Custom Registration Forms <= 3.7.9.2 - PHP Object Injection

> Unauthenticated attackers can exploit PHP object injection to execute arbitrary code via a POP chain in the RegistrationMagic WordPress plugin.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 18 Oct 2025
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5g96-pc88-j7fx

## What is CVE-2017-20208?

CVE-2017-20208 is a critical unsafe deserialization vulnerability in metagauss RegistrationMagic – Custom Registration Forms, User Registration, Payment, and User Login, published on 18 Oct 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The RegistrationMagic – Custom Registration Forms, User Registration, Payment, and User Login plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to PHP Object Injection in all versions up to 3.7.9.3 (exclusive) via deserialization of untrusted input from the is_expired_by_date() function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject a PHP Object. The additional presence of a POP chain allows attackers to fetch a remote file and install it on the site.

Weakness: CWE-502 (Deserialization of Untrusted Data)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-20208?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Metagauss Registrationmagic.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-20208?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-20208 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-20208 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-20208 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in metagauss RegistrationMagic – Custom Registration Forms, User Registration, Payment, and User Login

- [CVE-2024-10508](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-10508/): Auth bypass in RegistrationMagic – Custom Registration Forms, User Registration, Payment, and User Login (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-2499](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-2499/): RegistrationMagic <= 5.2.1.0 - Authentication Bypass (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-4073](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-4073/): RegistrationMagic <= 5.0.1.7 Authentication Bypass (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-1990](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-1990/): SQL injection in RegistrationMagic – Custom Registration Forms, User Registration, Payment, and User Login (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2024-1991](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-1991/): Privilege escalation in RegistrationMagic – Custom Registration Forms, User Registration, Payment, and User Login (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-20208 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-20208 is a critical unsafe deserialization vulnerability in metagauss RegistrationMagic – Custom Registration Forms, User Registration, Payment, and User Login, published on 18 Oct 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-20208 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: metagauss RegistrationMagic – Custom Registration Forms, User Registration, Payment, and User Login. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-20208/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-20208/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-20208
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-20208
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-20208

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-20208/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.