CVE-2024-1068: 404 Solution WordPress Plugin SQLi Flaw

CVE-2024-1068 Overview

CVE-2024-1068 is a SQL injection vulnerability in the 404 Solution WordPress plugin before version 2.35.8. The plugin fails to properly sanitize and escape a parameter before passing it into a SQL statement. Authenticated users with administrator privileges can inject arbitrary SQL into the affected query. Successful exploitation allows attackers to read, modify, or delete database contents, including WordPress user credentials and site configuration. The flaw is tracked as CWE-89: SQL Injection and affects installations of the ajexperience/404_solution plugin distributed through the WordPress plugin repository.

Critical Impact
A high-privilege authenticated attacker can execute arbitrary SQL against the WordPress database, leading to full data compromise on affected sites.

Affected Products

Ajexperience 404 Solution WordPress plugin, all versions prior to 2.35.8
WordPress sites with the 404 Solution plugin installed and activated
Multisite WordPress deployments where administrators can install the vulnerable plugin

Discovery Timeline

2024-03-11 - CVE-2024-1068 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-1068

Vulnerability Analysis

The 404 Solution plugin manages custom 404 redirects and logs for WordPress sites. In versions before 2.35.8, an administrative endpoint accepts a parameter that is concatenated directly into a SQL query without adequate sanitization or use of prepared statements. An attacker with administrator access can supply crafted input that breaks out of the intended query context and appends additional SQL clauses. The affected code path executes under the WordPress database user, which typically has full read and write access to the site database.

Exploitation requires the attacker to already hold administrator credentials on the target site. While this raises the privilege bar, the vulnerability remains relevant in scenarios involving compromised administrator accounts, shared hosting environments with multiple administrators, or supply-chain scenarios where an attacker gains temporary elevated access.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing input validation and improper query construction. The plugin builds SQL statements using string concatenation rather than the wpdb->prepare() API provided by WordPress. This bypasses the parameterization safeguards that would otherwise neutralize injected metacharacters such as single quotes, comments, and statement terminators.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based over HTTP or HTTPS. An authenticated administrator submits a crafted request to a plugin endpoint containing SQL payload characters in the vulnerable parameter. The plugin passes the payload into the database layer, where it executes as part of the intended query. Consult the WPScan vulnerability report for parameter-level technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-1068

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected entries in the WordPress wp_users or wp_usermeta tables, particularly new administrator accounts
Web server access logs showing administrator requests to 404 Solution plugin endpoints containing URL-encoded SQL metacharacters such as %27, UNION, or SELECT
Database error entries in PHP or MySQL logs referencing 404 Solution plugin queries
Outbound HTTP requests from the WordPress host to unfamiliar destinations following administrator plugin activity

Detection Strategies

Inventory WordPress installations and identify sites running the ajexperience/404_solution plugin at versions below 2.35.8
Correlate authentication logs with plugin administration requests to identify anomalous administrator sessions
Monitor database query logs for statements originating from the plugin that contain concatenated user input or unusual clauses

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable WordPress activity logging to capture plugin configuration changes and administrator actions
Forward web server, PHP, and MySQL logs to a centralized analytics platform for query-pattern detection
Alert on newly created administrator accounts or role escalations that occur outside change-management windows

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-1068

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade the 404 Solution plugin to version 2.35.8 or later on all WordPress sites
Audit WordPress administrator accounts and rotate credentials for any account that may have been misused
Review the database for unauthorized modifications, added users, or altered options
Restrict administrator access to trusted personnel and enforce multi-factor authentication for the /wp-admin interface

Patch Information

The vendor addressed CVE-2024-1068 in 404 Solution version 2.35.8. Update via the WordPress plugin manager or by replacing the plugin directory with the patched release. Refer to the WPScan Vulnerability Report for advisory references.

Workarounds

Deactivate and remove the 404 Solution plugin until the patched version can be installed
Restrict access to the WordPress administration interface using network-level controls such as IP allowlisting or a VPN
Deploy a Web Application Firewall rule that blocks SQL metacharacters in requests to plugin administration endpoints

bash

# Update the 404 Solution plugin using WP-CLI
wp plugin update 404-solution --version=2.35.8

# Verify installed version
wp plugin get 404-solution --field=version

# If a patched version cannot be applied immediately, deactivate the plugin
wp plugin deactivate 404-solution