CVE-2024-48020: WP Time Capsule SQL Injection Flaw

CVE-2024-48020 Overview

CVE-2024-48020 is a SQL Injection vulnerability in the Backup and Staging by WP Time Capsule WordPress plugin developed by revmakx. The flaw affects all versions of wp-time-capsule up to and including 1.22.21. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command [CWE-89]. Authenticated attackers with low privileges can inject arbitrary SQL statements into database queries over the network. Successful exploitation can expose sensitive database contents and impact availability of the WordPress site.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can execute arbitrary SQL queries against the WordPress database, leading to confidentiality loss and partial availability impact across the affected site.

Affected Products

Backup and Staging by WP Time Capsule (wp-time-capsule) plugin for WordPress
All versions from unspecified initial release through 1.22.21
WordPress installations using the revmakx-maintained plugin

Discovery Timeline

2024-10-11 - CVE-2024-48020 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-48020

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a classic SQL Injection flaw tracked under [CWE-89]. The plugin fails to sanitize or parameterize user-controlled input before incorporating it into SQL statements executed against the WordPress database. An attacker holding a low-privileged authenticated session can send crafted requests to vulnerable plugin endpoints. Because the flaw operates over the network with low attack complexity, exploitation is straightforward once an attacker obtains valid credentials.

The scope is marked as changed, indicating that impact extends beyond the plugin's own security context. Confidentiality impact is high because attackers can extract arbitrary rows from database tables, including WordPress user credentials and session tokens. Availability impact is low, reflecting the potential for query-based disruption rather than full service loss.

Root Cause

The root cause is the direct use of untrusted input in SQL queries without prepared statements or proper escaping through WordPress $wpdb->prepare() APIs. The plugin concatenates request parameters into query strings, allowing SQL metacharacters and clauses to alter query semantics. This pattern is a well-documented anti-pattern in WordPress plugin development.

Attack Vector

An authenticated attacker sends HTTP requests to vulnerable plugin endpoints exposed by wp-time-capsule. The attacker injects SQL payloads through vulnerable parameters, using techniques such as UNION-based extraction, boolean-based blind injection, or time-based blind injection. Refer to the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Advisory for advisory details.

No public proof-of-concept exploit code has been published in verified sources. The vulnerability mechanism follows standard SQL injection exploitation patterns against WordPress $wpdb query interfaces.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-48020

Indicators of Compromise

Unusual database queries in MySQL logs containing SQL keywords such as UNION SELECT, SLEEP(, BENCHMARK(, or INFORMATION_SCHEMA originating from plugin request handlers
Web server access logs showing repeated authenticated requests to wp-time-capsule plugin endpoints with encoded quote characters, semicolons, or SQL comment markers (--, /*)
Unexpected read activity against wp_users, wp_usermeta, or wp_options tables outside normal plugin operation

Detection Strategies

Inspect WordPress access logs for authenticated POST or GET requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and plugin-specific endpoints containing SQL metacharacters
Enable MySQL general query logging temporarily to identify malformed queries generated by the vulnerable plugin
Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection signatures targeting WordPress plugin traffic

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor for anomalous query volume or response time patterns from the WordPress database backing the affected site
Alert on authenticated user accounts submitting requests containing common SQLi payload patterns
Track plugin version inventory across managed WordPress sites and flag any instance running wp-time-capsule at version 1.22.21 or earlier

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-48020

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Backup and Staging by WP Time Capsule plugin to a version later than 1.22.21 as soon as a patched release is available from revmakx
Audit WordPress user accounts and revoke unnecessary privileges to reduce the population of accounts that could exploit the flaw
Review database access logs for signs of prior exploitation and rotate credentials if compromise is suspected

Patch Information

The vulnerability affects wp-time-capsule versions through 1.22.21. Consult the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Advisory for the latest fix availability. Apply the vendor patch through the WordPress plugin update mechanism once released.

Workarounds

Deactivate and remove the wp-time-capsule plugin until a patched version is installed
Restrict access to /wp-admin/ using IP allowlists or network-layer controls to reduce the attack surface
Deploy a WordPress-aware WAF rule set that blocks SQL injection payloads targeting plugin endpoints

bash

# Configuration example: disable the plugin via WP-CLI until patched
wp plugin deactivate wp-time-capsule
wp plugin status wp-time-capsule