WP Mail Logging <= 1.15.0 - Unauthenticated PHP Object Injection via Email Log Message Field
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 1.16
- Affected Plugin
- WP Mail Logging
- Affected Version
<= 1.15.0- CVSS
- 7.5High
- Weakness type
- CWE-502 · Deserialization of Untrusted Data
- CVE
CVE-2026-2471
At a glance
CVE-2026-2471 is a high-severity Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in the WP Mail Logging WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.15.0. It carries a CVSS score of 7.5 (reachable over the network; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 1.16; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed February 2026, reported by Quốc Huy (jtwings).
Vulnerability Overview
The WP Mail Logging plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to PHP Object Injection in all versions up to, and including, 1.15.0 via deserialization of untrusted input from the email log message field. This is due to the `BaseModel` class constructor calling `maybe_unserialize()` on all properties retrieved from the database without validation. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject a PHP Object by submitting a double-serialized payload through any public-facing form that sends email (e.g., Contact Form 7). When the email is logged and subsequently viewed by an administrator, the malicious payload is deserialized into an arbitrary PHP object. No known POP chain is present in the vulnerable software, which means this vulnerability has no impact unless another plugin or theme containing a POP chain is installed on the site. If a POP chain is present via an additional plugin or theme installed on the target system, it may allow the attacker to perform actions like delete arbitrary files, retrieve sensitive data, or execute code depending on the POP chain present.
Technical Analysis
The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, and no privileges on the target site. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.
CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data
WP Mail Logging <= 1.15.0 carries this weakness at maybe_unserialize(), and reaching it takes no account at all. Deserialization of untrusted data means the application reconstructs objects from input a caller controls, letting the attacker choose which classes get instantiated and what their properties hold.
A workable chain turns deserialization into file writes, deletions or code execution, depending on what the loaded classes do in their magic methods. For WP Mail Logging the fix is 1.16: builds <= 1.15.0 are affected, anything from 1.16 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 1.16, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
Requests carrying this pattern arrive without a session, so nothing upstream of the firewall gets a chance to reject them: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. Classes like this one can leave something behind, so the staged malware scanner is the second half: it looks for dropped files and modified code rather than for the request that created them. None of that substitutes for the fix: WP Mail Logging 1.16 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Scanner
- Login Security
External References
Related records
Other vulnerabilities in WP Mail Logging
- 7.2CVE-2023-3081: WP Mail Logging <= 1.11.1 Stored Cross-Site Scripting
CVE-2023-3081 - 6.4WP Mail Logging <= 1.8.2 Cross-Site Scripting
- 5.3WP Mail Logging < 1.10.0 Arbitrary Settings Change
- 4.3WP Mail Logging <= 1.11.2 Notice Dismissal
- 4.3Appsero <= 1.2.1 Missing Authorization
- 4.3CVE-2022-47150: Appsero <= 1.2.0 Cross-Site Request Forgery
CVE-2022-47150
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