Description

Unauthenticated SQL Injection in WP Data Access <= 5.5.81 versions.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "9.3",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-31T21:17:50.170Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-31T21:17:50.170Z",
  "executiveSummary": "The WP Data Access WordPress plugin, in all versions up to and including 5.5.81, is vulnerable to an unauthenticated SQL Injection vulnerability. This security flaw allows remote, unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands directly against the underlying database. Because the vulnerability does not require any authentication or administrative privileges, the risk of exploitation is high.\nAn attacker exploiting this vulnerability can bypass standard authentication mechanisms, access sensitive information stored within the WordPress database—including user credentials, session tokens, and personal identifiable information—and potentially modify database contents. In severe scenarios, this can lead to complete site takeover if the attacker successfully extracts or alters administrative account details. Organizations utilizing affected versions of the WP Data Access plugin must take immediate action to remediate this vulnerability to prevent unauthorized data exposure and preserve the integrity of their web infrastructure.",
  "technicalDetails": "The root cause of the unauthenticated SQL injection vulnerability in WP Data Access (versions 5.5.81 and prior) lies in the improper sanitization, validation, or parameterization of user-supplied input before it is incorporated into database queries. In WordPress environments, database interactions are typically handled via the global $wpdb object. Safe database querying requires inputs to be parameterized using the prepare method, which escapes variables and prevents SQL injection.\nIn the vulnerable versions of this plugin, certain endpoints or input parameters accessible to unauthenticated users fail to utilize secure preparation methods. This omission allows an attacker to manipulate query structures by injecting malicious SQL fragments.\nThe attack flow typically begins with the attacker identifying an exposed endpoint, AJAX action, or parameter managed by the WP Data Access plugin that does not require active session authentication. The attacker constructs an HTTP request targeting this specific parameter. Within the parameter value, the attacker appends SQL syntax, such as UNION operators or boolean-based payloads.\nWhen the WordPress application processes the incoming request, the vulnerable component passes the unsanitized input directly into a dynamic SQL query string. The database interpreter evaluates the injected SQL syntax as executable commands rather than literal string values. Depending on the database configuration and the specific query structure, the attacker can leverage different SQL injection techniques. For instance, union-based SQL injection allows the attacker to retrieve results from other database tables, such as the wp_users table, exposing username and password hashes. The post-exploitation impact includes complete read access to the database, potential database modification, and a high likelihood of privilege escalation if administrative credentials are reconstructed."
}