Critical Unauthenticated PHP Object Injection Flaw Found in Avala Plugin

The National Vulnerability Database has published a critical security advisory for the Avala plugin developed by BoldThemes. The entry, identified as CVE-2026-62077, details an unauthenticated PHP object injection vulnerability that affects versions 1.1.4 and earlier. This disclosure highlights a significant risk to websites relying on this specific software component for functionality.

Security researchers and database administrators classify this weakness under CWE-502, which refers to the generation of deserialized objects. The National Vulnerability Database assigns a CVSS base score of 9.8 to this issue. This high numerical rating indicates that the vulnerability is critical in severity. Attackers can exploit this flaw without needing any prior authentication credentials to access the target system.

Technical Context and Background

PHP object injection occurs when an application deserializes untrusted data without proper validation. This specific weakness, categorized as CWE-502, allows an attacker to manipulate the serialized data stream. By injecting malicious objects, an adversary can potentially execute arbitrary code or cause denial-of-service conditions. The unauthenticated nature of this exploit means that remote attackers can trigger the vulnerability from any network location.

The National Vulnerability Database serves as the primary repository for such security disclosures in the United States. It provides standardized metrics like the Common Vulnerability Scoring System to help organizations prioritize remediation efforts. A score of 9.8 places this flaw at the very top of the severity scale. This indicates that the potential impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is extremely high.

Who Is Affected

Only users of the BoldThemes Avala plugin are affected by this specific vulnerability. The advisory explicitly states that versions up to 1.1.4 are vulnerable to the unauthenticated injection attack. Website administrators who have installed or updated to version 1.1.4 or any earlier release are currently exposed. Organizations using newer versions, if they exist, may not be impacted by this specific CVE.

BoldThemes is the vendor responsible for the development and maintenance of the Avala plugin. The security record indicates that the flaw exists within the core handling of serialized PHP objects. No other software products or vendors are mentioned in the National Vulnerability Database entry for CVE-2026-62077. Users must verify their current installation version against the affected range to determine their risk level.

What should you do?

Administrators should immediately audit their systems to identify any installations of the Avala plugin. If the software is present, they must check the version number against the vulnerable range of 1.1.4 and below. Organizations should monitor for any official statements from BoldThemes regarding a patched version. Until a fix is confirmed, reducing the attack surface by restricting access to the affected components is advisable.