Critical Unauthenticated PHP Object Injection Flaw Found in Tipsy Theme
The National Vulnerability Database rates CVE-2026-62052 as critical for Tipsy versions 1.6 and earlier due to unauthenticated injection risks.
Key points
- CVE-2026-62052 carries a CVSS score of 9.8, marking it as a critical severity vulnerability in the Tipsy WordPress theme.
- The flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to perform PHP object injection on any site running Tipsy version 1.6 or earlier.
- ThemeREX is the vendor responsible for the affected software, with no patch confirmed in the current National Vulnerability Database record.
The National Vulnerability Database has assigned a critical severity rating to CVE-2026-62052, a security flaw affecting the Tipsy WordPress theme. This vulnerability enables unauthenticated PHP object injection on websites running version 1.6 or earlier of the product. The finding highlights significant risks for organizations relying on older theme versions.
At a glance
- CVE
- CVE-2026-62052
- Product
- ThemeREX Tipsy
- CVSS
- 9.8 Critical
- Weakness
- insecure deserialization
- Exploited
- No known exploitation
According to the NVD record, the vulnerability holds a CVSS score of 9.8, which is the maximum possible score. This rating reflects the ease with which an attacker can exploit the flaw without any prior authentication. The weakness is categorized under CWE-502, indicating a failure to properly sanitize untrusted data before it is processed by the application.
Context and Background
PHP object injection occurs when an application deserializes untrusted data without proper validation. Attackers can craft malicious serialized strings that, when processed, execute arbitrary code or manipulate application state. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it often bypasses standard input sanitization measures.
The Tipsy theme is a popular choice for various website types, including creative portfolios and business sites. Its widespread adoption increases the potential attack surface for this specific CVE. Security researchers emphasize that unauthenticated access makes exploitation trivial for automated scanning tools.
Who Is Affected
ThemeREX is the vendor that develops and maintains the Tipsy theme. The vulnerability affects all installations running version 1.6 or any earlier release. Websites that have not updated their theme files remain exposed to this critical risk.
Administrators using WordPress must verify their current theme version immediately. If the installed version is 1.6 or lower, the site is considered vulnerable until a fix is applied. The NVD record does not specify a fixed version, leaving users in a state of uncertainty regarding remediation.
What should you do?
Site owners should audit their WordPress installations to identify the current version of the Tipsy theme. Checking for updates from ThemeREX is the primary mitigation strategy. Until a patch is confirmed, reducing the attack surface through network controls and monitoring is essential.
What to do and how to stay safe: CVE-2026-62052
- Verify the installed version of the Tipsy theme on all managed WordPress sites to determine if it is 1.6 or earlier.
- Monitor server logs for unusual deserialization attempts or unexpected PHP object creation, which may indicate exploitation of CVE-2026-62052.
- Implement strict input validation and output encoding practices across the application to mitigate the impact of potential object injection attacks.
- Wait for an official security update from ThemeREX before applying any unofficial patches that could introduce instability or new vulnerabilities.
Step-by-step guide: Risk Based Vulnerability Management: Prioritize Fixes by Actual Threat
General security guidance from the Threat Times newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-62052?
The National Vulnerability Database assigns a CVSS score of 9.8 to CVE-2026-62052, classifying it as critical severity.
Which versions of Tipsy are affected by this vulnerability?
Tipsy version 1.6 and all earlier versions are affected by the unauthenticated PHP object injection flaw.
Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-62052?
The source material does not confirm that a patch or fix has been released by ThemeREX for this specific CVE.
