# CVE-2023-26326: Deserialization in BuddyForms WordPress Plugin

> Unauthenticated attackers can achieve arbitrary code execution via insecure deserialization in the BuddyForms 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:** 23 Feb 2023
- **Updated:** 12 Mar 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-c4hp-hwrc-92r3

## What is CVE-2023-26326?

CVE-2023-26326 is a critical unsafe deserialization vulnerability in BuddyForms WordPress Plugin, published on 23 Feb 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The BuddyForms WordPress plugin, in versions prior to 2.7.8, was affected by an unauthenticated insecure deserialization issue. An unauthenticated attacker could leverage this issue to call files using a PHAR wrapper that will deserialize the data and call arbitrary PHP Objects that can be used to perform a variety of malicious actions granted a POP chain is also present.

Weakness: CWE-502 (Deserialization of Untrusted Data)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-26326?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Themekraft Buddyforms.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-26326?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-26326 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-26326 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-26326 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Exploit for CVE-2023-26326 in the WordPress BuddyForms plugin, leveraging CVE-2024-2961 for remote code execution. This exploit bypasses PHP 8+ deserialization limitations by chaining vulnerabilities with php://filter. (github_poc): https://github.com/omarelshopky/exploit_cve-2023-26326_using_cve-2024-2961
- https://github.com/mesudmammad1/CVE-2023-26326_Buddyform_exploit (github_poc): https://github.com/mesudmammad1/CVE-2023-26326_Buddyform_exploit

## Other vulnerabilities in BuddyForms WordPress Plugin

- [CVE-2018-21003](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-21003/): SQL injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-8246](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-8246/): Privilege escalation in Post Form – Registration Form – Profile Form for User Profiles – Frontend Content Forms for User Submissions (UGC) (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2024-32830](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-32830/): WordPress buddyforms plugin <= 2.8.8- Arbitrary File Read and SSRF vulnerability (high 8.6)
- [CVE-2025-32151](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-32151/): WordPress BuddyForms plugin <= 2.10.2 - Local File Inclusion vulnerability (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2024-5149](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-5149/): BuddyForms <= 2.8.9 - Email Verification Bypass due to Insufficient Randomness (medium 6.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-26326 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-26326 is a critical unsafe deserialization vulnerability in BuddyForms WordPress Plugin, published on 23 Feb 2023. 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-2023-26326 exists.

Affected product: BuddyForms WordPress Plugin. 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-2023-26326/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-26326/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-26326
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-26326
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-26326

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-26326/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.