CVE-2025-23779: ResAds SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2025-23779 Overview

CVE-2025-23779 is a SQL Injection vulnerability in the web-mv ResAds plugin for WordPress. The flaw stems from improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command [CWE-89]. Attackers with high privileges can inject malicious SQL statements through unsanitized input passed to database queries. The vulnerability affects all versions of ResAds up to and including 2.0.5. Successful exploitation allows attackers to read sensitive data stored in the WordPress database and impact application availability. The vulnerability operates with a changed scope, meaning impact extends beyond the vulnerable component itself.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers with high privileges can execute arbitrary SQL queries against the WordPress database, exposing confidential data and degrading service availability.

Affected Products

web-mv ResAds plugin for WordPress
ResAds versions from n/a through <= 2.0.5
WordPress installations using vulnerable ResAds plugin versions

Discovery Timeline

2025-01-16 - CVE-2025-23779 published to NVD
2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-23779

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the ResAds WordPress plugin developed by web-mv. The plugin fails to properly neutralize special elements in user-supplied input before passing it to SQL queries. This allows attackers to break out of the intended query context and append arbitrary SQL syntax.

The issue is classified under [CWE-89], the standard weakness category for SQL injection flaws. The EPSS score is 0.599% with a percentile of 43.8, indicating moderate exploitation likelihood relative to other published vulnerabilities. Exploitation requires high privileges, which limits the attacker pool to authenticated users with elevated plugin access. However, the scope is changed, meaning the injected SQL can affect database resources beyond the plugin's intended boundary.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing input sanitization and absence of prepared statements in plugin database operations. The plugin concatenates user-controllable parameters directly into SQL query strings instead of using parameterized queries through the WordPress $wpdb->prepare() API. Any input that reaches a vulnerable query path is interpreted as SQL syntax rather than data.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and remotely exploitable. An authenticated attacker with high privileges sends crafted HTTP requests containing SQL metacharacters to plugin endpoints. The malicious payload is concatenated into a backend query, enabling data extraction through UNION-based, error-based, or blind injection techniques. No user interaction is required to trigger the flaw once the attacker is authenticated.

The vulnerability mechanism is described in the Patchstack Vulnerability Advisory. Refer to the advisory for endpoint-specific technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-23779

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to ResAds plugin endpoints containing SQL metacharacters such as ', --, UNION, SELECT, or OR 1=1
Unusual database query patterns or query errors logged by WordPress or MySQL referencing ResAds plugin tables
Unexpected outbound data transfers following requests to ResAds administrative endpoints
New or modified administrative user accounts created without corresponding administrative activity

Detection Strategies

Monitor WordPress access logs for suspicious query strings targeting ResAds plugin URLs
Enable MySQL general query logging temporarily to identify malformed SQL originating from the plugin
Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection signature rules tuned to WordPress plugin endpoints
Correlate authentication events with database error spikes to detect post-authentication exploitation

Monitoring Recommendations

Audit administrative user activity within WordPress for unusual ResAds plugin interactions
Alert on database error rates exceeding baseline thresholds across plugin queries
Review plugin configuration changes and database schema modifications on a recurring schedule

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-23779

Immediate Actions Required

Identify all WordPress installations running the ResAds plugin and confirm installed versions
Disable the ResAds plugin on any WordPress site running version 2.0.5 or earlier until a patched release is verified
Restrict administrative access to trusted users and rotate credentials for high-privilege accounts
Review WordPress and database logs for evidence of historical exploitation attempts

Patch Information

No fixed version is identified in the available advisory data. The vulnerability affects ResAds versions through <= 2.0.5. Monitor the Patchstack Vulnerability Advisory and the plugin vendor's release notes for patched versions and apply updates immediately upon availability.

Workarounds

Deactivate and remove the ResAds plugin until a patched version is available
Apply a WAF rule set blocking SQL injection payloads targeting /wp-admin/ and ResAds plugin paths
Limit the number of accounts with high privileges in WordPress to reduce the exploitable attacker surface
Enforce least privilege on the database account used by WordPress to limit data exposure

bash

# Configuration example: disable the ResAds plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate resads
wp plugin delete resads