# CVE-2022-1609: The School Management < 9.9.7 - Unauthenticated RCE via REST api

> Unauthenticated attackers can execute arbitrary PHP code via a backdoor in the School Management WordPress plugin's REST API.

- **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:** 16 Jan 2024
- **Updated:** 2 Jun 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-4g99-5gw9-42hv

## What is CVE-2022-1609?

CVE-2022-1609 is a critical code injection vulnerability in Unknown school-management-pro, published on 16 Jan 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The School Management WordPress plugin before 9.9.7 contains an obfuscated backdoor injected in it's license checking code that registers a REST API handler, allowing an unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary PHP code on the site.

Weakness: CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-1609?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Weblizar School Management.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-1609?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-1609 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2022-1609 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2022-1609 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Bash poc for CVE-2022-1609 WordPress Weblizar Backdoor (github_poc): https://github.com/0xSojalSec/-CVE-2022-1609
- CVE-2022-1609 WordPress Weblizar后门 (github_poc): https://github.com/savior-only/CVE-2022-1609
- Exploit for CVE-2022-1609 WordPress Weblizar Backdoor. (github_poc): https://github.com/itworksig/cve-2022-1609-exploit
- Bash poc for CVE-2022-1609 WordPress Weblizar  Backdoor (github_poc): https://github.com/0xSojalSec/CVE-2022-1609
- The School Management < 9.9.7 - Remote Code Execution (nuclei): http/cves/2022/CVE-2022-1609.yaml

## Other vulnerabilities in Unknown school-management-pro

- [CVE-2024-33911](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-33911/): WordPress The School Management Pro plugin <= 10.3.4 - SQL Injection vulnerability (high 7.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-1609 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-1609 is a critical code injection vulnerability in Unknown school-management-pro, published on 16 Jan 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2022-1609 exists.

Affected product: Unknown school-management-pro. 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-2022-1609/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-1609/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-1609
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-1609
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-1609

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-1609/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.