CVE-2022-2434: Instawp String Locator

High severity, CVSS 8.8. EPSS: 1.7% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

The String Locator plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to deserialization of untrusted input via the 'string-locator-path' parameter in versions up to, and including 2.5.0. This makes it possible for unauthenticated users to call files using a PHAR wrapper, granted they can trick a site administrator into performing an action such as clicking on a link, that will deserialize and call arbitrary PHP Objects that can be used to perform a variety of malicious actions granted a POP chain is also present. It also requires that the attacker is successful in uploading a file with the serialized payload.

Affected products

• Instawp String Locator: up to and including 2.5.0

Published 2022-09-06. Last modified 2026-06-17.