CVE-2024-25902: Miniorange Malware Scanner SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2024-25902 Overview

CVE-2024-25902 is a SQL injection vulnerability affecting the miniOrange Malware Scanner plugin for WordPress. The flaw stems from improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command [CWE-89]. All versions of the plugin up to and including 4.7.2 are affected.

An authenticated attacker with high privileges can inject malicious SQL statements through the plugin's admin functionality. Successful exploitation impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the underlying WordPress database. The vulnerability was published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) on February 28, 2024.

Critical Impact
Attackers with administrative access can execute arbitrary SQL queries against the WordPress database, exposing sensitive site data and enabling further compromise.

Affected Products

miniOrange Malware Scanner plugin for WordPress
All versions from n/a through 4.7.2
WordPress installations with the vulnerable plugin activated

Discovery Timeline

2024-02-28 - CVE-2024-25902 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-25902

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability exists in the miniOrange Malware Scanner plugin, a WordPress security extension designed to identify malware on WordPress sites. The plugin fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before including it in SQL queries. This falls under Common Weakness Enumeration category [CWE-89], Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command.

Exploitation requires an authenticated session with high privileges, typically an administrator account. The attack vector is network-based and requires no user interaction. Once exploited, an attacker can read, modify, or delete arbitrary database records.

Root Cause

The root cause is the plugin's use of unsanitized input in dynamically constructed SQL statements. Developer input handling did not apply parameterized queries or WordPress's $wpdb->prepare() sanitization functions. This allows attacker-controlled data to be interpreted as SQL syntax rather than literal values.

Attack Vector

An authenticated administrator submits crafted input to a vulnerable admin-facing parameter within the plugin. The parameter is concatenated into a SQL query and executed against the WordPress database. Because the query runs with database privileges granted to WordPress, the attacker can access all tables, including wp_users credential hashes and session tokens.

Specific technical details of the vulnerable parameters are documented in the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-25902

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected SQL syntax patterns in WordPress access logs targeting wp-admin endpoints associated with the Malware Scanner plugin
Database queries containing UNION, SELECT, or error-based injection payloads originating from authenticated admin sessions
Unusual database read patterns against wp_users, wp_usermeta, or wp_options tables
Anomalous administrator activity from unfamiliar IP addresses or at unusual times

Detection Strategies

Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules that inspect POST and GET parameters directed at the Malware Scanner plugin paths for SQL metacharacters
Enable WordPress database query logging to correlate admin actions with unexpected SQL patterns
Monitor authentication logs for administrator credential compromise that would enable this attack
Review the plugin version in use across all managed WordPress installations and flag versions at or below 4.7.2

Monitoring Recommendations

Track file integrity of WordPress core and plugin directories to identify post-exploitation modifications
Alert on newly created administrator accounts or privilege escalation events in wp_usermeta
Correlate database error responses with authenticated admin requests to identify probing activity
Ingest WordPress and web server logs into a centralized SIEM for cross-source analysis

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-25902

Immediate Actions Required

Update the miniOrange Malware Scanner plugin to a version above 4.7.2 immediately
Audit administrator accounts and enforce multi-factor authentication for all privileged users
Rotate WordPress administrator passwords and invalidate active sessions
Review the WordPress database for signs of unauthorized modification or data extraction

Patch Information

The vendor has been notified of the issue. Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the latest patch status and fixed version information. Apply the vendor-supplied update as soon as it becomes available.

Workarounds

Deactivate and remove the miniOrange Malware Scanner plugin until a patched version is confirmed
Restrict access to the WordPress admin interface using IP allowlisting at the web server or WAF layer
Apply the principle of least privilege by limiting the number of accounts with administrator role
Enforce strong authentication controls to reduce the risk of administrator account compromise

bash

# Disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI until a patched version is installed
wp plugin deactivate miniorange-malware-protection
wp plugin delete miniorange-malware-protection

# Verify no residual plugin files remain
ls -la wp-content/plugins/ | grep -i miniorange