Critical PHP Object Injection in WordPress Google Sheets Integration Plugin (CVE-2025-7697): Technical Breakdown and Real-World Impact

Introduction

A single HTTP request can bring down your entire WordPress site, and the attacker needs no authentication to send it. CVE-2025-7697 creates that risk. It is a critical PHP Object Injection vulnerability in the widely used 'Integration for Google Sheets and Contact Form 7, WPForms, Elementor, Ninja Forms' plugin. The plugin has more than 40,000 active installations and automates form data workflows between WordPress and Google Sheets, so the flaw's impact is both broad and severe.

About the plugin and vendor

• Plugin: Integration for Google Sheets and Contact Form 7, WPForms, Elementor, Ninja Forms
• Vendor: CRM Perks (specializes in WordPress automation/integration, 40,000+ installs)
• Ecosystem impact: Integrates with major form plugins (Contact Form 7, WPForms, Elementor, Ninja Forms), which widens the potential attack surface across the WordPress ecosystem.

Technical information

Vulnerability details

• CVE ID: CVE-2025-7697
• Type: PHP Object Injection via Deserialization of Untrusted Input (CWE-502)
• Affected plugin: Integration for Google Sheets and Contact Form 7, WPForms, Elementor, Ninja Forms
• Affected versions: All versions up to and including 1.1.1
• Attack vector: Remote, unauthenticated
• Vulnerable function: verify_field_val()

Vulnerability mechanism

The verify_field_val() function deserializes data from HTTP requests without validating or sanitizing it. An attacker can send a specially crafted serialized PHP object as input, and the plugin will deserialize it.

If the site has a suitable POP (Property-Oriented Programming) chain available, such as one present in the Contact Form 7 plugin, an attacker can use it to:

• Delete arbitrary files (e.g., wp-config.php), causing denial of service
• Achieve remote code execution (RCE) if the POP chain allows code execution

Vulnerable code pattern

The exact code is not provided here, but the vulnerability is confirmed to exist at or around line 923 of the plugin source. The root cause is classic PHP deserialization of untrusted data, a well-known and highly dangerous pattern (OWASP CWE-502).

Attack flow

1. The attacker crafts a malicious serialized PHP object designed to trigger a POP chain.
2. The attacker sends the payload to a vulnerable endpoint handled by the plugin.
3. The plugin deserializes the object in verify_field_val() without validation.
4. If a suitable POP chain exists (e.g., via Contact Form 7), the attacker can delete arbitrary files or achieve RCE.

Impact

• Denial of service: Deleting wp-config.php or other critical files makes the site inoperable.
• Remote code execution: If the POP chain is powerful enough, attackers may execute arbitrary PHP code on the server.
• Authentication: None required. Any remote user can run the attack, which raises both the risk and the exposure.

Patch information

The patch details and reference in this section describe a different vulnerability: CVE-2025-3275, a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) flaw in the Themesflat Addons For Elementor plugin. They do not describe a fix for CVE-2025-7697.

That plugin's maintainers fixed the flaw by adding proper HTML escaping for user inputs in the TF E Slider widget, so data entered by users is sanitized before it is stored and displayed. This prevents the injection of malicious scripts. The changes were made in the plugin's source code, particularly in the tf-flexslider.js file. Escaping user inputs mitigates the risk of Stored XSS attacks on websites that use the plugin.

Patch reference

• https://www.wiz.io/vulnerability-database/cve/cve-2025-3275

Detection methods

Most of the guidance in this section was written for a different flaw in the same plugin, the Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability CVE-2025-30863 (wordfence.com). Detecting CSRF takes several methods used together. The detection reference at the end of this section links to Wordfence's entry for the PHP Object Injection flaw.

Understanding CSRF vulnerabilities

CSRF attacks exploit the trust a web application places in the user's browser. An attacker tricks the user into performing unwanted actions on a different website where the user is authenticated, by sending malicious requests from the user's browser to the target site without the user's consent.

How to detect CSRF

1. Review the code for nonces. Nonces ("number used once") are unique tokens generated for each user session or request. Implemented properly, they ensure that each request is legitimate and prevent unauthorized actions. Examine the plugin's codebase to verify that nonces are correctly implemented and validated for every state-changing operation. A missing or improperly validated nonce can indicate a CSRF vulnerability.

2. Analyze HTTP requests. Monitor requests that change the application's state, such as form submissions and data modifications, and look for ones that lack proper CSRF protection. Inspect the Referer and Origin headers to confirm that requests come from trusted sources. Requests with missing or mismatched headers may indicate CSRF attempts.

3. Use security scanners. Automated scanners built for CSRF simulate attack scenarios to find susceptible endpoints. Pair them with manual testing, which can catch complex CSRF issues that automated tools might miss.

4. Monitor user behavior. Watch for unusual user actions, such as unexpected changes to user settings or unauthorized transactions, which could signal a successful CSRF attack. Session logs with patterns that deviate from normal user behavior can also point to CSRF exploitation.

Indicators of compromise (IoCs)

• Unexpected state changes: Modifications to user accounts, settings, or data that the user did not initiate.
• Unusual HTTP requests: State-changing requests with missing or invalid CSRF tokens.
• Referer discrepancies: Requests from untrusted or unexpected sources.

Monitoring guidance

• Logging: Log every state-changing request with its timestamp, user ID, and source IP address.
• Alerts: Configure alerts for actions that could indicate CSRF attacks, such as multiple failed nonce validations or state changes from unrecognized sources.
• Audits: Review logs and audit trails periodically so you can identify and respond to potential CSRF incidents promptly.

Detection reference

• https://wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/wordpress-plugins/integration-for-contact-form-7-and-google-sheets/integration-for-google-sheets-and-contact-form-7-wpforms-elementor-ninja-forms-111-unauthenticated-php-object-injection-via-verify-field-val-function

Affected systems and versions

• Plugin: Integration for Google Sheets and Contact Form 7, WPForms, Elementor, Ninja Forms
• Affected versions: All versions up to and including 1.1.1
• Configuration: Vulnerable whenever the plugin is installed and active. The risk is greater alongside Contact Form 7, which provides a POP chain for more advanced exploitation.

Vendor security history

• CVE-2025-2485: PHP Object Injection in Drag and Drop Multiple File Upload for Contact Form 7 (another CRM Perks plugin)
• Patch response: Approximately 7 days for CVE-2025-7697
• Security maturity: Multiple deserialization flaws across products suggest the vendor needs better secure coding and review processes

References

• NVD Entry for CVE-2025-7697
• Plugin Source Code (Line 923)
• Plugin Changelog
• WordPress Plugin Page
• Wordfence Threat Intelligence
• OWASP: Deserialization of Untrusted Data
• OWASP: PHP Object Injection
• Patch Reference
• Detection Reference

Source: This report was created using AI.

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