Executive Summary

A critical vulnerability, CVE-2026-54825, with a CVSS score of 9.3, was discovered in the wpDataTables plugin for WordPress. This vulnerability allows unauthenticated SQL injection attacks and affects versions up to and including 7.4. While it is not currently being exploited, the severity of this vulnerability requires immediate attention from WordPress site administrators.

Technical Analysis

The vulnerability is classified as an SQL injection attack, specifically CWE-89. It occurs due to a lack of proper input validation in the wpDataTables plugin, allowing an unauthenticated attacker to inject malicious SQL code. The attack vector is network-based (AV:N), with low attack complexity (AC:L) and no required privileges (PR:N). The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system, with a high impact on confidentiality (C:H), no impact on integrity (I:N), and a low impact on availability (A:L).

How It Gets Exploited

An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted SQL payload to a vulnerable endpoint in the wpDataTables plugin. For example, an attacker might send a malicious request to the plugin's data retrieval endpoint, injecting SQL code that could extract sensitive information from the database or execute system-level commands. When the plugin processes this request, it fails to properly validate the input, allowing the injected SQL code to be executed. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, modification of database contents, or even execution of system-level commands, depending on the privileges of the database user.

Impact Assessment

The wpDataTables plugin versions up to and including 7.4 are affected by this vulnerability. Given the high CVSS score of 9.3, the impact of a successful exploit could be severe, potentially leading to data breaches, system compromise, or denial-of-service conditions. The vulnerability has a wide scope (S:C), meaning that a successful exploit could affect not just the plugin itself but also other components or systems connected to the database.

Recommended Actions

To mitigate this vulnerability, WordPress site administrators should immediately update the wpDataTables plugin to version 7.4.1 or later. Additionally, site owners should:
  • Ensure that all plugins and themes are up to date.
  • Implement a web application firewall (WAF) to detect and block suspicious SQL injection attempts.
  • Regularly monitor database activity for unusual patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts.

Sources