Description

Unauthenticated SQL Injection in Porto Theme - Functionality <= 3.9.3 versions.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "9.3",
  "pubDate": "2026-10-06T09:17:54.463Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-10-06T09:17:54.463Z",
  "executiveSummary": "A critical security vulnerability has been identified within the Porto Theme - Functionality component, affecting all versions up to and including 3.9.3. This security flaw is classified as an unauthenticated SQL injection (SQLi) vulnerability, representing a severe threat to database confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Because the vulnerability is exploitable by unauthenticated remote actors, it requires no administrative privileges or valid user sessions, vastly expanding the threat vector.\nAn attacker capable of sending crafted HTTP requests to the vulnerable application can manipulate underlying SQL queries executed by the theme functionality. The primary risk implication of this vulnerability is the potential disclosure of sensitive database records, which may include administrator password hashes, personal user information, and site configuration data. Furthermore, depending on the database configuration and database user permissions, attackers might also modify database contents or execute arbitrary commands, leading to complete system compromise. Organizations running affected versions must prioritize remediation to secure their environments.",
  "technicalDetails": "The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper sanitization, filtration, or parameterization of user-supplied inputs within the 'Porto Theme - Functionality' component (versions <= 3.9.3). When handling external requests, certain functions within the theme fail to adequately escape or validate variables before incorporating them directly into dynamically constructed SQL database queries. This architectural flaw permits malicious database syntax, injected via query parameters, POST payloads, or headers, to alter the intended logic of the SQL statement execution flow.\nBecause this vulnerability is unauthenticated, the vector is highly accessible. Attackers do not need to authenticate to the WordPress dashboard or obtain any subscriber-level access. They can initiate the exploit sequence by targeting public endpoints or AJAX actions registered by the Porto Theme - Functionality component. In a typical WordPress environment, these actions may be exposed via admin-ajax.php or REST API endpoints that execute underlying PHP code bound to the vulnerable theme function. The payload is sent directly within the request body or URL parameters, triggering the vulnerable database query execution pathway.\nThe typical execution flow of an attack begins with a reconnaissance phase, where the attacker identifies active sites utilizing Porto Theme - Functionality versions 3.9.3 or below. Once a target is validated, the attacker constructs a crafted SQL injection payload (e.g., using boolean-based, time-based, or union-based SQL injection techniques). Upon sending the request, the application processing logic passes the tainted input to the database abstraction layer without sanitization. The SQL interpreter processes the injected commands as executable code rather than literal string values, yielding unauthorized database outputs or timing delays that leak information database-wide.\nThe post-exploitation impact of this vulnerability is highly critical. A successful attacker can systematically extract entire tables from the database, specifically targeting user credentials to acquire administrator usernames and password hashes. By utilizing offline brute-force attacks against these hashes, attackers can escalate their privileges to absolute administrator control. Additionally, depending on database engine privileges, attackers may execute write queries, inject malicious scripts (stored cross-site scripting), create unauthorized administrative accounts, or read/write arbitrary system files if the database daemon has elevated system-level permissions.\nTo prevent SQL injection, database queries should utilize prepared statements and parameterized queries, ensuring that user input is treated strictly as data rather than executable code. Within the context of WordPress themes, functions like $wpdb->prepare() must be systematically implemented for any dynamic SQL queries. The failure to use parameterized queries within the database interaction functions of Porto Theme - Functionality <= 3.9.3 directly exposed the application database to structured manipulation, circumventing standard security controls."
}