The WPCOM Member plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to time-based SQL Injection via the `user_phone` parameter in all versions up to and including 1.7.6. This vulnerability arises due to insufficient escaping of user-supplied input and inadequate preparation of SQL queries. Attackers can exploit this flaw by injecting malicious SQL code into the `user_phone` parameter, which is then executed by the database. This allows unauthenticated attackers to append additional SQL queries to existing ones, potentially extracting sensitive information such as user credentials, personal data, or other confidential information stored in the database. The time-based nature of the attack means that attackers can infer query results based on the response time of the database, making it a stealthy and effective method for data exfiltration.
DailyCVE Form:
Platform: WordPress
Version: 1.7.6 and earlier
Vulnerability: SQL Injection
Severity: Critical
Date: 03/14/2025
What Undercode Say:
Exploitation:
- Crafting Malicious Input: Attackers can manipulate the `user_phone` parameter to inject SQL payloads. For example:
user_phone=1' AND (SELECT FROM (SELECT(SLEEP(5)))--
This payload causes the database to delay its response by 5 seconds, confirming the vulnerability.
- Data Extraction: Attackers can use UNION-based SQL injection to extract data:
user_phone=1' UNION SELECT username, password FROM wp_users--
This query retrieves usernames and passwords from the database.
- Automation: Tools like SQLmap can automate the exploitation process:
sqlmap -u "http://example.com/wpcom-member?user_phone=1" --dbs
Protection:
- Input Sanitization: Ensure all user inputs are sanitized and escaped:
$user_phone = $wpdb->prepare($_POST[bash]);
- Prepared Statements: Use prepared statements to prevent SQL injection:
$stmt = $wpdb->prepare("SELECT FROM wp_users WHERE user_phone = %s", $user_phone); - Plugin Update: Update the WPCOM Member plugin to the latest version if a patch is released.
- Web Application Firewall (WAF): Implement a WAF to filter malicious SQL payloads.
- Database Permissions: Restrict database user permissions to minimize damage in case of exploitation.
Detection:
- Log Monitoring: Monitor database logs for unusual queries or delays:
tail -f /var/log/mysql/queries.log
- Vulnerability Scanning: Use tools like WPScan to detect vulnerable plugins:
wpscan --url http://example.com --enumerate vp
- Error Handling: Disable detailed error messages to prevent attackers from gaining insights into the database structure.
Mitigation:
- Patch Management: Regularly update all plugins and themes to their latest versions.
- Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits to identify and fix vulnerabilities.
- Disable Unused Plugins: Deactivate and delete unused plugins to reduce the attack surface.
- Database Encryption: Encrypt sensitive data stored in the database to protect it from exfiltration.
- Rate Limiting: Implement rate limiting to prevent brute-force attacks on vulnerable endpoints.
By following these steps, administrators can mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2025-2221 and protect their WordPress installations from SQL injection attacks.
References:
Reported By: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-2221
Extra Source Hub:
Undercode
