Description

The paymendo WordPress plugin through 1.1 does not properly sanitize and escape a parameter before using it in a SQL query, allowing any authenticated user to perform SQL injection attacks.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "6.5",
  "pubDate": "2026-10-11T07:17:29.083Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-10-11T07:17:29.083Z",
  "executiveSummary": "The Paymendo WordPress plugin, in all versions up to and including 1.1, contains a critical SQL injection vulnerability.\nThis security flaw stems from the failure to properly sanitize and escape user-supplied input before incorporating it into database queries.\nAny authenticated user, regardless of their specific role or privilege level, can exploit this vulnerability to manipulate backend SQL commands.\nThe impact of a successful exploit is severe, as it allows attackers to bypass security controls, unauthorizedly access sensitive database information, modify existing data, or potentially achieve remote code execution if the database environment allows for such interactions.\nThe vulnerability poses a significant risk to the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of the WordPress site's data.\nExploitation requires the attacker to be authenticated to the WordPress instance but does not require administrative privileges, making it a highly accessible threat vector for malicious actors.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability exists in the Paymendo WordPress plugin up to version 1.1 due to improper handling of user-controllable input before its inclusion in SQL queries.\nSpecifically, the plugin fails to implement necessary sanitization or parameterization mechanisms, such as using the $wpdb->prepare() function, for a parameter processed during database operations.\nThe root cause is an insecure database interaction pattern where untrusted input from a request parameter is concatenated directly into a raw SQL statement, allowing the user-supplied data to alter the query's syntax and logic.\nAn authenticated attacker can exploit this flaw by manipulating the specific vulnerable parameter in a request sent to the WordPress server. By injecting crafted SQL payloads—such as UNION-based attacks, blind SQL injection techniques, or boolean-based inference—an attacker can escape the intended query boundaries.\nThe attack flow proceeds as follows: First, the attacker identifies the vulnerable parameter through reconnaissance. Second, the attacker crafts a malicious payload designed to alter the query logic. Third, the crafted request is submitted to the server. Fourth, the server processes the request, incorporating the malicious payload into the database query without sanitization. Fifth, the database executes the altered query, returning the requested data or performing unauthorized modifications based on the payload's structure.\nBecause the vulnerability is reachable by any authenticated user, it significantly lowers the barrier for exploitation. An attacker with a low-privileged account can perform SQL injection, which may be leveraged to escalate privileges, exfiltrate the entire WordPress database (including user credentials and configurations), or perform unauthorized data manipulation.\nThe reliance on unvalidated input in database queries violates fundamental secure coding principles for WordPress development. Without effective input validation and output encoding, the plugin exposes the underlying database to full manipulation by any user capable of authenticating to the platform."
}