What the vulnerability does
01Description
WordPress is a free and open-source content management system written in PHP and paired with a MariaDB database. Due to lack of proper sanitization in one of the classes, there's potential for unintended SQL queries to be executed. This has been patched in WordPress version 5.8.3. Older affected versions are also fixed via security release, that go back till 4.1.34. We strongly recommend that you keep auto-updates enabled. There are no known workarounds for this issue.
Explanation of Vulnerability in Simple Terms
02Summary
A SQL injection vulnerability in WordPress allows authenticated users with low privileges to execute arbitrary SQL queries on the site database. The vulnerability affects versions 4.1.33 through 5.8.2. An attacker with a low-privilege account can read, modify, or delete database records, potentially exposing sensitive data or compromising site functionality. The scope is changed, meaning the impact extends beyond the vulnerable component.
What an attacker can do
03Attacker Capabilities
Execute SQL queries to read, modify, or delete database records with the privileges of the WordPress database user.
Potential impact on your site
04Site Impact
Database contents may be exposed, modified, or deleted; site functionality could be compromised depending on what data is targeted.
Conditions required to exploit
05Prerequisites
Attacker must have a low-privilege WordPress user account (e.g., subscriber or contributor role).
Key dates
06Disclosure timeline
January 6, 2022
CVE published
April 23, 2025
Record updated
