CVE-2024-49614: SermonAudio Widgets SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2024-49614 Overview

CVE-2024-49614 is a SQL Injection vulnerability affecting the SermonAudio Widgets WordPress plugin. The flaw impacts all plugin versions up to and including 1.9.3. Authenticated attackers can inject malicious SQL statements through improperly neutralized input parameters processed by the plugin. Successful exploitation compromises database confidentiality, integrity, and availability on affected WordPress sites. The issue is tracked under CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can execute arbitrary SQL queries against the WordPress database, enabling data theft, privilege escalation, and site compromise.

Affected Products

SermonAudio Widgets plugin for WordPress, versions up to and including 1.9.3
WordPress installations with the sermonaudio-widgets plugin active
Sites accepting authenticated user input routed through vulnerable plugin endpoints

Discovery Timeline

2024-10-20 - CVE-2024-49614 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-49614

Vulnerability Analysis

The SermonAudio Widgets plugin fails to sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries. This classic input validation failure allows attackers to break out of the intended query context and append arbitrary SQL clauses. The vulnerability requires low-privilege authentication but no user interaction, and it can be triggered remotely over the network.

Because the plugin executes queries within the WordPress database context, successful injection exposes sensitive tables including wp_users, wp_usermeta, and wp_options. Attackers can extract password hashes, session tokens, and configuration secrets. They can also modify or delete records, escalating impact from information disclosure to full site takeover.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special SQL characters in one or more plugin request handlers. The affected code paths concatenate user-controlled parameters directly into SQL statements rather than using parameterized queries or the WordPress $wpdb->prepare() API. This pattern is a common source of injection flaws in WordPress plugins that bypass the database abstraction layer's safe query builders.

Attack Vector

An authenticated attacker sends a crafted HTTP request to a vulnerable plugin endpoint. The request contains SQL metacharacters embedded in parameters that the plugin passes to the database without sanitization. The injected payload alters the query structure, allowing the attacker to retrieve arbitrary data through UNION SELECT clauses or boolean-based blind extraction.

See the PatchStack advisory for reference details. No public proof-of-concept exploit code has been published for this CVE.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-49614

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to sermonaudio-widgets plugin endpoints containing SQL metacharacters such as ', UNION, SELECT, --, or URL-encoded equivalents
Unexpected database queries in MySQL slow query or general query logs referencing WordPress core tables from plugin contexts
Anomalous outbound traffic from the WordPress host following authenticated plugin access
Newly created administrator accounts or modifications to wp_users and wp_usermeta tables without corresponding admin activity

Detection Strategies

Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rulesets that flag SQL injection payloads targeting WordPress plugin parameters
Enable WordPress debug logging and inspect wpdb errors that indicate malformed queries reaching the database
Correlate authenticated session activity with query-log spikes to surface low-privilege accounts issuing unusual database operations

Monitoring Recommendations

Baseline normal request patterns for the sermonaudio-widgets endpoints and alert on parameter values containing SQL syntax
Monitor for privilege changes and new administrator role assignments in WordPress user metadata
Forward WordPress, PHP, and MySQL logs to a centralized platform for cross-source correlation and retention

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-49614

Immediate Actions Required

Update the SermonAudio Widgets plugin to a version later than 1.9.3 once the vendor publishes a fixed release
Audit WordPress user accounts and revoke any suspicious low-privilege accounts that may have been used to trigger the flaw
Rotate WordPress administrator passwords, secret keys in wp-config.php, and API tokens if compromise is suspected
Review database contents for unauthorized modifications, especially in wp_users, wp_usermeta, and wp_options

Patch Information

No fixed version was listed at the time of publication. Administrators should consult the PatchStack advisory and the WordPress plugin repository for the latest release notes and apply updates as soon as a patched version is available.

Workarounds

Deactivate and remove the SermonAudio Widgets plugin until a patched version is installed
Restrict plugin endpoint access to trusted IP ranges using web server or WAF rules
Enforce least-privilege on WordPress accounts and disable self-registration where not required
Enable a WAF with WordPress-aware SQL injection signatures to block known payload patterns

bash

# Example: disable the vulnerable plugin using WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate sermonaudio-widgets
wp plugin delete sermonaudio-widgets

# Example: restrict access to plugin endpoints via nginx
location ~* /wp-content/plugins/sermonaudio-widgets/ {
    allow 203.0.113.0/24;
    deny all;
}