CVE-2024-7854: Woo Inquiry SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2024-7854 Overview

The Woo Inquiry plugin for WordPress contains a critical SQL Injection vulnerability affecting all versions up to and including 0.1. This security flaw stems from insufficient escaping of the user-supplied dbid parameter combined with inadequate preparation of SQL queries. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to inject malicious SQL commands into existing database queries, potentially exposing sensitive information stored in the WordPress database.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this SQL Injection vulnerability to extract sensitive data from the WordPress database, including user credentials, customer information, and WooCommerce order details without any authentication requirements.

Affected Products

• Sjhoo Woo Inquiry plugin version 0.1 and earlier
• WordPress installations using the Woo Inquiry plugin (sjhoo:woo_inquiry)

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-08-21 - CVE-2024-7854 published to NVD
• 2024-09-27 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-7854

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) exists within the Woo Inquiry plugin's functions.php file at line 307. The root cause is the direct use of unsanitized user input in database queries without proper escaping or parameterized query preparation.

The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no authentication to exploit. An attacker can remotely access the vulnerable endpoint and manipulate the dbid parameter to inject arbitrary SQL commands. This allows for extraction of database contents including WordPress user tables, WooCommerce customer data, payment information, and any other sensitive data stored in the database.

Root Cause

The vulnerability originates from improper input validation and insufficient SQL query preparation in the plugin's codebase. The dbid parameter passed by users is incorporated directly into SQL queries without proper escaping using WordPress's $wpdb->prepare() function or equivalent sanitization methods. This violation of secure coding practices allows SQL metacharacters to break out of the intended query context and execute attacker-controlled SQL statements.

Attack Vector

The attack can be executed remotely over the network without any authentication or user interaction. An attacker identifies WordPress installations using the vulnerable Woo Inquiry plugin, then crafts malicious requests containing SQL injection payloads in the dbid parameter. The vulnerable code processes these requests and executes the injected SQL against the WordPress database.

The vulnerability manifests in the functions.php file where the dbid parameter is processed. Attackers can leverage techniques such as UNION-based injection to extract data, boolean-based blind injection to enumerate database contents, or time-based blind injection when direct data exfiltration is not possible. For technical details, see the WordPress Function Source Code and the Wordfence Vulnerability Analysis.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-7854

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual database queries in WordPress/MySQL logs containing SQL injection patterns (UNION SELECT, OR 1=1, etc.)
• Unexpected access to the Woo Inquiry plugin endpoints with malformed dbid parameters
• Database access errors or unexpected query results in application logs
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unauthorized access to sensitive WordPress tables

Detection Strategies

• Monitor web application firewall (WAF) logs for SQL injection attack patterns targeting the dbid parameter
• Implement intrusion detection rules to identify common SQL injection payloads in HTTP requests
• Review WordPress access logs for suspicious requests to Woo Inquiry plugin endpoints
• Deploy database activity monitoring to detect anomalous query patterns or unauthorized data access

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed WordPress debug logging and MySQL query logging during investigation periods
• Configure real-time alerting for SQL injection signatures in security monitoring tools
• Establish baseline database query patterns to identify anomalous injection attempts
• Monitor for mass data extraction patterns that could indicate successful exploitation

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-7854

Immediate Actions Required

• Deactivate and remove the Woo Inquiry plugin immediately if no patch is available
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block SQL injection attempts
• Review database access logs for evidence of prior exploitation
• Consider rotating database credentials and WordPress secret keys if compromise is suspected

Patch Information

At the time of publication, organizations should check with the plugin developer (sjhoo) for updated versions that address this vulnerability. Given the critical severity and lack of authentication requirements, immediate removal of the vulnerable plugin is recommended until a verified patch is available. Monitor the Wordfence Vulnerability Analysis for updates on patch availability.

Workarounds

• Remove or disable the Woo Inquiry plugin until a patched version is released
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall with SQL injection protection rules enabled
• Restrict access to WordPress admin and plugin endpoints using IP allowlisting where feasible
• Implement database user privilege restrictions to limit potential damage from SQL injection

# WordPress CLI command to deactivate the vulnerable plugin
wp plugin deactivate woo-inquiry --path=/var/www/html/wordpress

# Verify plugin is deactivated
wp plugin list --path=/var/www/html/wordpress | grep woo-inquiry