# CVE-2024-30228: WordPress Hercules Core plugin <= 6.4 - Auth. PHP Object Injection vulnerability

> Authenticated attackers can exploit PHP object injection in the Hercules Core WordPress plugin to potentially execute arbitrary code.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.9 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 28 Mar 2024
- **Updated:** 28 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-q5v2-fhp4-5qmf

## What is CVE-2024-30228?

CVE-2024-30228 is a critical unsafe deserialization vulnerability in Hercules Core, published on 28 Mar 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in Hercules Design Hercules Core.This issue affects Hercules Core : from n/a through 6.4.

Weakness: CWE-502 (Deserialization of Untrusted Data)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-30228?


## How do I fix CVE-2024-30228?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-30228 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-30228 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-30228 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-30228 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-30228 is a critical unsafe deserialization vulnerability in Hercules Core, published on 28 Mar 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-30228 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Hercules Core. 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-2024-30228/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-30228/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-30228
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-30228
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-30228

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-30228/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.