# CVE-2026-97278: WP SYNTEX Polylang object injection in deserialization

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-97278-deserialization-of-untrusted-data-vulnerability-in-wp-syntex  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-10-14. Updated: 2026-10-16  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-97278 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.2 · Published 2026-10-14

Polylang is a WordPress plugin that enables multilingual website support. A deserialization vulnerability allows attackers with editor-level access to inject malicious objects and execute arbitrary code on the web server, potentially leading to complete site compromise.

Technologies: [WP SYNTEX Polylang](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/polylang). Vendors: [WP SYNTEX](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/wp-syntex).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-97278 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-97278 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-97278?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.2, published 14 October 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** WP SYNTEX Polylang through 3.8.9.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-97278?** Yes: fixed in 3.8.10. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-97278 attacked?** It is attacked over the network.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-97278?** Check whether you run WP SYNTEX Polylang at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- Fixed in 3.8.10

## Technical details

A PHP object injection vulnerability in Polylang's deserialization of untrusted data allows an authenticated attacker with editor privileges to craft malicious serialized objects. When deserialized, these objects can trigger arbitrary code execution through PHP's magic methods, giving an attacker server-level command execution.

## Affected products

- WP SYNTEX Polylang through 3.8.9

## Timeline

- 2026-10-14: disclosed
- 2026-10-12: patched

## References

- [https://wordpress.org/plugins](https://wordpress.org/plugins)
- [https://patchstack.com/database/wordpress/plugin/polylang/vulnerability/wordpress-polylang-plugin-3-8-9-php-object-injection-vulnerability?_s_id=cve](https://patchstack.com/database/wordpress/plugin/polylang/vulnerability/wordpress-polylang-plugin-3-8-9-php-object-injection-vulnerability?_s_id=cve)

## Related threats

- [WP SYNTEX Polylang broken access control in pages](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-122670-missing-authorization-vulnerability-in-wp-syntex-polylang)
- [WP SYNTEX Polylang missing authorization in data retrieval](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-39783-missing-authorization-vulnerability-in-wp-syntex-polylang)
- [Polylang stored cross-site scripting in contributor roles](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-97279-contributor-cross-site-scripting-xss-in-polylang-3-8-9-versions)
- [Chouby Polylang sensitive data exposure](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-65458-chouby-polylang-sensitive-data-exposure)