CVE-2024-30490: Metagauss ProfileGrid SQL Injection Flaw

CVE-2024-30490 Overview

CVE-2024-30490 is a critical SQL Injection vulnerability affecting the Metagauss ProfileGrid plugin for WordPress. This vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious SQL commands through improperly sanitized user input, potentially enabling unauthorized access to the underlying database. The vulnerability exists due to improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands within the ProfileGrid plugin.

Critical Impact

This SQL Injection vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication, potentially allowing attackers to extract sensitive data, modify database contents, or gain complete control of the WordPress installation.

Affected Products

• Metagauss ProfileGrid plugin for WordPress versions through 5.7.8

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-03-29 - CVE-2024-30490 published to NVD
• 2025-02-04 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-30490

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability in the ProfileGrid WordPress plugin stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization of user-supplied data before it is incorporated into SQL queries. ProfileGrid is a popular WordPress plugin used for creating user profiles, groups, and communities on WordPress websites. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to manipulate SQL queries executed by the application, potentially leading to complete database compromise.

The network-based attack vector requires no privileges or user interaction to exploit, making it particularly dangerous for websites running vulnerable versions of the plugin. Successful exploitation could result in unauthorized disclosure of sensitive user information, modification of database records, or complete takeover of the WordPress site through privilege escalation.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper neutralization of special characters in user-supplied input before constructing SQL queries. The ProfileGrid plugin fails to properly sanitize or parameterize input data, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary SQL commands that are executed with the privileges of the database user configured for WordPress. This represents a classic CWE-89 (SQL Injection) vulnerability pattern where user input is directly concatenated into SQL statements without proper escaping or use of prepared statements.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is exploitable over the network by sending specially crafted requests to a WordPress site running a vulnerable version of ProfileGrid. An attacker can inject malicious SQL syntax into input fields or parameters processed by the plugin. The injected SQL code is then executed by the database server, potentially allowing the attacker to:

• Extract sensitive information from the database including user credentials, email addresses, and personal data
• Modify or delete database records
• Bypass authentication mechanisms
• Execute administrative operations
• In some configurations, achieve remote code execution through database features like INTO OUTFILE or user-defined functions

The vulnerability manifests in the ProfileGrid plugin's handling of user input parameters. For technical details on the specific vulnerable endpoints and injection points, refer to the Patchstack SQL Injection Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-30490

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual database query patterns or errors in WordPress logs indicating SQL syntax errors
• Unexpected database queries containing SQL keywords like UNION, SELECT, DROP, or INSERT in web server access logs
• Signs of data exfiltration or unauthorized database access
• Modified database records or unexpected administrative accounts
• Web server logs showing requests with encoded SQL injection payloads targeting ProfileGrid plugin endpoints

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in HTTP requests
• Monitor WordPress debug logs for database query errors that may indicate exploitation attempts
• Deploy intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for SQL injection attacks
• Regularly audit the WordPress database for unauthorized changes or suspicious entries
• Review access logs for anomalous requests to ProfileGrid plugin endpoints

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable and monitor WordPress debug logging to capture database query errors
• Configure alerting for high volumes of 500 errors or database connection issues
• Implement real-time log analysis for SQL injection patterns in request parameters
• Monitor database user activity for unusual query patterns or privilege escalation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-30490

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the ProfileGrid plugin to a version newer than 5.7.8 immediately
• Review WordPress database for signs of compromise including unauthorized admin accounts
• Rotate database credentials if exploitation is suspected
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block SQL injection attempts
• Consider temporarily disabling the ProfileGrid plugin until patched

Patch Information

Website administrators should update the ProfileGrid plugin to the latest available version that addresses this SQL Injection vulnerability. The update can be applied through the WordPress admin dashboard under Plugins > Installed Plugins, or by manually downloading and installing the patched version. For additional details, consult the Patchstack SQL Injection Advisory.

Workarounds

• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection enabled to filter malicious requests
• Restrict database user privileges to the minimum required for WordPress operation
• Implement network-level access controls to limit database connectivity
• Consider temporarily disabling the ProfileGrid plugin if an immediate update is not possible
• Enable WordPress audit logging to detect exploitation attempts

# Configuration example
# Restrict MySQL user privileges (adjust credentials as needed)
# Connect to MySQL as root and limit WordPress database user
mysql -u root -p << EOF
REVOKE ALL PRIVILEGES ON wordpress_db.* FROM 'wp_user'@'localhost';
GRANT SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE ON wordpress_db.* TO 'wp_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EOF

# Enable WordPress debug logging in wp-config.php
# Add the following lines to monitor for exploitation attempts:
# define('WP_DEBUG', true);
# define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
# define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);