CVE-2025-15477: Bucketlister WordPress Plugin SQLi Flaw

CVE-2025-15477 Overview

The Bucketlister plugin for WordPress contains a SQL Injection vulnerability in all versions up to and including 0.1.5. The vulnerability exists in the plugin's shortcode implementation, specifically through the category and id attributes. Due to insufficient escaping on user-supplied parameters and lack of proper prepared statements on SQL queries, authenticated attackers can inject malicious SQL code to extract sensitive information from the WordPress database.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or above can exploit this SQL Injection vulnerability to extract sensitive data from the WordPress database, potentially compromising user credentials, private content, and site configuration data.

Affected Products

• The Bucketlister plugin for WordPress versions ≤ 0.1.5
• WordPress installations using vulnerable Bucketlister plugin versions
• Any WordPress site with Contributor-level or higher user accounts using this plugin

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-07 - CVE CVE-2025-15477 published to NVD
• 2026-02-09 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-15477

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) affects the shortcode functionality within The Bucketlister WordPress plugin. The plugin fails to properly sanitize user input passed through the category and id shortcode attributes before incorporating them into database queries. Without adequate input validation or the use of parameterized queries, attackers can manipulate these attributes to inject arbitrary SQL commands.

The attack requires network access and authentication with at least Contributor-level privileges. While this limits the attack surface compared to unauthenticated vulnerabilities, WordPress sites commonly have multiple users with Contributor access, making exploitation feasible. Successful exploitation allows attackers to read sensitive database contents, including user credentials, email addresses, private posts, and plugin configuration data.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the direct concatenation of user-supplied input into SQL queries without proper sanitization or the use of WordPress's built-in $wpdb->prepare() function. The shortcode handler in bucketlister.php accepts the category and id parameters from users and passes them directly into database queries, creating an injection point that bypasses normal access controls.

Attack Vector

The attack is executed through the network by authenticated users with at least Contributor-level access. An attacker can create or edit a post containing the vulnerable shortcode with malicious SQL payload injected into the category or id attributes. When the shortcode is processed, the injected SQL commands are executed against the WordPress database. Since no user interaction is required beyond the initial authentication, and the attack complexity is low, exploitation is straightforward for any user meeting the privilege requirements.

The vulnerability enables attackers to append additional SQL queries to existing ones, using techniques like UNION-based injection or time-based blind injection to extract data from tables beyond what the plugin normally accesses.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-15477

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual database queries in WordPress debug logs containing SQL syntax in shortcode parameters
• Posts or pages containing suspicious shortcode attributes with SQL keywords like UNION, SELECT, OR 1=1
• Unexpected database read activity patterns from authenticated Contributor-level accounts
• Error messages in logs indicating malformed SQL queries from the Bucketlister plugin

Detection Strategies

• Monitor WordPress database query logs for anomalous queries originating from The Bucketlister plugin functions
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect SQL injection patterns in shortcode parameters
• Review post/page content for shortcodes containing suspicious SQL injection payloads
• Enable WordPress debug logging and monitor for SQL-related errors from bucketlister.php

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure SentinelOne Singularity to monitor WordPress plugin behavior and database access patterns
• Set up alerts for unusual database query volumes from WordPress user sessions
• Implement regular audits of user-generated content containing plugin shortcodes
• Deploy endpoint detection to identify post-exploitation activity following data exfiltration

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-15477

Immediate Actions Required

• Deactivate The Bucketlister plugin immediately if running version 0.1.5 or earlier
• Audit all posts and pages for potentially malicious shortcode content created by Contributor-level users
• Review database access logs for evidence of SQL injection exploitation attempts
• Consider removing Contributor-level access from untrusted users until the plugin is updated or replaced

Patch Information

As of the last NVD update on 2026-02-09, users should check for plugin updates through the WordPress plugin repository. Review the WordPress Plugin Source Code to understand the vulnerable code path. Consult the Wordfence Vulnerability Report for the latest remediation guidance and patch availability information.

Workarounds

• Deactivate The Bucketlister plugin until a patched version is available
• Remove Contributor, Author, and Editor access from untrusted users to eliminate the attack vector
• Implement a WAF rule to block requests containing SQL injection patterns in shortcode parameters
• Consider replacing the plugin with an alternative that uses proper parameterized queries

# Configuration example
# Deactivate the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate the-bucketlister

# List all users with Contributor role for review
wp user list --role=contributor --fields=ID,user_login,user_email

# Search for potentially malicious shortcode content
wp db query "SELECT ID, post_title FROM wp_posts WHERE post_content LIKE '%[bucketlister%' AND post_content REGEXP 'UNION|SELECT|OR 1=1'"