CVE-2025-0821: Bit Assist WordPress Plugin SQL Injection

CVE-2025-0821 Overview

CVE-2025-0821 is a time-based SQL injection vulnerability in the Bit Assist plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 1.5.2. The flaw resides in the handling of the id parameter within the WidgetChannelController, where user-supplied input is not properly escaped and the underlying SQL query lacks sufficient preparation. Authenticated users with Subscriber-level access or above can append SQL statements to existing queries. Successful exploitation allows attackers to extract sensitive information from the WordPress database. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers with minimal privileges can exfiltrate database contents, including user credentials, session tokens, and site configuration data.

Affected Products

Bit Assist plugin for WordPress, versions up to and including 1.5.2
WordPress sites where the vendor bitappsbit_assist plugin is installed and active
Any site permitting Subscriber-level (or higher) account registration with the plugin enabled

Discovery Timeline

2025-02-14 - CVE-2025-0821 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-17 - Last updated in the NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-0821

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability exists in the WidgetChannelController.php file of the Bit Assist plugin. The controller accepts an id parameter from HTTP requests and concatenates it into a SQL query without proper sanitization or parameterized statement usage. Because the query is not prepared, attackers can inject additional SQL syntax that the database engine interprets as part of the original statement.

This is a time-based blind SQL injection. Attackers do not receive query results directly in the HTTP response. Instead, they infer database contents by submitting payloads that cause the database to sleep for measurable durations based on conditional logic. Repeating this process character by character allows extraction of arbitrary data such as wp_users credentials and secret metadata.

The attack requires authentication, but WordPress Subscriber accounts are typically low-value and often created via open registration. This lowers the practical barrier to exploitation on sites that allow public account creation.

Root Cause

The root cause is insufficient input escaping combined with the absence of prepared statements in the SQL query construction within WidgetChannelController.php at line 89. Refer to the WordPress plugin code review for the vulnerable code path. Direct concatenation of user-controlled input into SQL statements is the underlying defect described by [CWE-89].

Attack Vector

Exploitation occurs over the network against the plugin's authenticated endpoints. An attacker logs in as a Subscriber, then issues crafted requests containing SQL payloads in the id parameter. Payloads typically include conditional SLEEP() functions to enable time-based inference of query results. No user interaction beyond the attacker's own session is required.

See the Wordfence Vulnerability Report for additional technical context. No public proof-of-concept exploit code is currently listed for this CVE.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-0821

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to Bit Assist plugin endpoints containing SQL keywords such as SLEEP, BENCHMARK, UNION, or SELECT in the id parameter
Anomalously long response times for authenticated requests to Bit Assist widget channel endpoints
Repeated authenticated requests from a single Subscriber account targeting the same plugin endpoint with varying id values
Unexpected outbound queries or reads against wp_users, wp_usermeta, or wp_options tables correlated with plugin activity

Detection Strategies

Deploy a WordPress-aware web application firewall rule that inspects the id parameter on Bit Assist routes for SQL metacharacters and time-delay functions
Enable MySQL slow query logging and alert on queries exceeding baseline durations that reference plugin tables
Monitor WordPress access logs for authenticated Subscriber accounts issuing unusual volumes of requests to /wp-json/ or admin-ajax endpoints associated with the plugin

Monitoring Recommendations

Correlate authentication events with subsequent plugin API access to identify newly registered accounts probing Bit Assist endpoints
Baseline response times for plugin endpoints and alert on statistical outliers indicating time-based injection probing
Review new Subscriber account registrations and flag accounts that access administrative or plugin-specific endpoints within minutes of creation

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-0821

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Bit Assist plugin to a version later than 1.5.2 that includes the fix from WordPress change set 3239816
Audit existing user accounts and remove unused Subscriber-level accounts, particularly those created via open registration
Review database logs for evidence of time-based injection payloads or unusual query patterns against plugin tables
Rotate WordPress secret keys, administrator passwords, and API tokens if compromise is suspected

Patch Information

The vendor addressed the vulnerability in a release following version 1.5.2. The fix is documented in the WordPress plugin change set, which introduces proper escaping and prepared statement usage for the id parameter. Site administrators should verify the installed version through the WordPress plugin management interface. Consult the Bit Assist plugin developers page for the latest release information.

Workarounds

Temporarily disable the Bit Assist plugin until the patched version is deployed
Disable open user registration in WordPress general settings to prevent unauthenticated attackers from obtaining Subscriber accounts
Restrict access to plugin endpoints using web server access controls or a WAF ruleset that blocks SQL injection payloads
Enforce least-privilege database credentials for the WordPress database user to limit the impact of successful injection

bash

# Disable open registration via wp-cli as an interim control
wp option update users_can_register 0

# Deactivate the vulnerable plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate bit-assist