CVE-2025-24669: SERPed.net SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2025-24669 Overview

CVE-2025-24669 is a SQL Injection vulnerability in the SERPed.net WordPress plugin developed by serpednet. The flaw stems from improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command [CWE-89]. It affects all versions of SERPed.net up to and including 4.4. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can send crafted input over the network to manipulate backend SQL queries. Successful exploitation allows unauthorized read access to database contents and limited impact to availability. The issue was published to the National Vulnerability Database on January 24, 2025, and tracked by Patchstack in the WordPress plugin vulnerability database.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can inject arbitrary SQL queries through the SERPed.net plugin, exposing confidential WordPress database contents including user records and site configuration.

Affected Products

SERPed.net WordPress plugin (serped-net) versions through 4.4
WordPress sites running the vulnerable plugin
Any hosting environment exposing the affected plugin endpoints

Discovery Timeline

2025-01-24 - CVE-2025-24669 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-24669

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-89, Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command. The SERPed.net plugin fails to sanitize or parameterize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL statements executed against the WordPress database. An attacker who holds a low-privileged authenticated session can submit crafted parameter values that break out of the intended SQL context. This allows the attacker to append additional clauses, union queries, or boolean conditions to the original statement. Because the vulnerability has a changed scope, the impact extends beyond the plugin to the underlying WordPress database and related components.

Root Cause

The root cause is the direct concatenation of untrusted request parameters into SQL queries without the use of prepared statements or the WordPress $wpdb->prepare() API. Input validation routines do not enforce type, length, or character constraints sufficient to neutralize SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, semicolons, and comment markers.

Attack Vector

Exploitation occurs over the network against any WordPress site running SERPed.net 4.4 or earlier. The attacker must possess valid authenticated credentials with at least subscriber-level privileges to reach the vulnerable code path. No user interaction is required. The attacker submits a crafted HTTP request containing SQL syntax in a parameter consumed by the plugin. The injected payload is executed by the database engine, returning data or modifying query behavior. Refer to the Patchstack SQL Injection Vulnerability advisory for technical details on the affected endpoint.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24669

Indicators of Compromise

Unusual HTTP requests to SERPed.net plugin endpoints containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, SLEEP, or INFORMATION_SCHEMA
Database query logs showing malformed or unexpectedly long queries originating from the plugin
Spikes in authenticated requests from a single account targeting plugin parameters
Web server access logs containing URL-encoded SQL metacharacters (%27, %23, %2D%2D) in plugin request parameters

Detection Strategies

Deploy a web application firewall with WordPress-specific signatures to flag SQL injection payloads targeting plugin routes
Enable MySQL general query logging or slow query logging and review for queries containing tautologies or stacked statements
Monitor WordPress audit logs for low-privilege accounts accessing plugin administrative or AJAX endpoints
Correlate authentication events with subsequent database errors to identify probing activity

Monitoring Recommendations

Alert on HTTP 500 responses returned by SERPed.net plugin endpoints, which often indicate injection probing
Track outbound database connections and query patterns associated with the WordPress service account
Establish baselines for plugin endpoint traffic volume and alert on deviations from authenticated user sessions

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24669

Immediate Actions Required

Identify all WordPress instances running SERPed.net version 4.4 or earlier and inventory their exposure
Restrict access to the WordPress administrative interface to trusted IP ranges where feasible
Audit user accounts and remove or disable low-privileged accounts that are no longer required
Review database logs and WordPress access logs for evidence of prior exploitation attempts

Patch Information

No fixed version has been published in the available references at the time of writing. Consult the Patchstack advisory for the latest vendor remediation status and apply any released update for SERPed.net as soon as it becomes available.

Workarounds

Disable and remove the SERPed.net plugin until a patched release is available
Deploy a virtual patching rule at the web application firewall to block SQL metacharacters in requests targeting plugin endpoints
Apply the principle of least privilege to the WordPress database user, removing rights such as FILE, CREATE, and DROP where unnecessary
Enforce strong authentication and rate-limit login attempts to reduce the pool of credentials available for exploitation

bash

# Example: temporarily deactivate the SERPed.net plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate serped-net
wp plugin status serped-net