CVE-2025-25116: Link to URL/Post Plugin SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2025-25116 Overview

CVE-2025-25116 is a Blind SQL Injection vulnerability in the Link to URL / Post WordPress plugin developed by sudipto. The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 1.3. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of special elements in SQL commands [CWE-89], allowing authenticated attackers with high privileges to inject malicious SQL statements. Successful exploitation can expose sensitive database contents and impact resources beyond the vulnerable component due to a scope change.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can execute blind SQL injection queries against the WordPress database, leading to confidentiality loss and partial availability impact across associated components.

Affected Products

WordPress plugin: Link to URL / Post (link-to-url-post)
Vendor: sudipto
Versions: all releases up to and including 1.3

Discovery Timeline

2025-02-07 - CVE-2025-25116 published to NVD
2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-25116

Vulnerability Analysis

The Link to URL / Post plugin fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries. This classifies the flaw as Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command [CWE-89]. Attackers exploit the issue blindly, inferring database content from application behavior rather than direct query output.

The vulnerability requires high privileges, limiting exploitation to authenticated users with elevated WordPress roles. However, the scope change indicates that exploitation can affect resources outside the plugin's security context. Attackers can extract sensitive data such as user credentials, session tokens, and configuration values stored in the WordPress database.

The EPSS score is 0.058% with a percentile of 18.243, indicating low predicted exploitation probability at this time. No public exploit code or proof-of-concept has been published.

Root Cause

The plugin constructs SQL queries by concatenating user-controlled input without parameterization or proper escaping. Standard WordPress functions such as $wpdb->prepare() are not consistently applied, leaving query parameters open to injection. This permits attackers to alter query logic through crafted input strings containing SQL metacharacters.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires authenticated access with administrative or equivalent privileges. An attacker submits crafted requests to plugin endpoints that pass tainted input into SQL queries. Because the injection is blind, the attacker uses boolean-based or time-based techniques to extract data one character at a time. See the Patchstack advisory for technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-25116

Indicators of Compromise

Unusual SQL syntax patterns in WordPress access logs, particularly SLEEP(), BENCHMARK(), UNION SELECT, or boolean conditions like AND 1=1.
Repeated authenticated requests to link-to-url-post plugin endpoints originating from a single session within short time windows.
Unexpected delays in HTTP response times that correlate with time-based blind SQL injection probes.
New or modified administrator accounts following suspicious plugin request activity.

Detection Strategies

Deploy a web application firewall ruleset that inspects POST and GET parameters submitted to plugin handlers for SQL metacharacters.
Enable MySQL general query logging temporarily to identify malformed or anomalous queries originating from the plugin code path.
Correlate WordPress audit logs with database query logs to identify privileged users issuing unusual plugin requests.

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor authenticated session activity for accounts with administrative roles, focusing on requests targeting plugin parameters.
Track response time anomalies on plugin endpoints, which may indicate time-based blind SQL injection attempts.
Alert on creation of new database users, privilege grants, or unexpected schema reads from the WordPress database.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-25116

Immediate Actions Required

Disable or remove the Link to URL / Post plugin until a patched version is available.
Audit all WordPress administrator and editor accounts and rotate credentials for any potentially compromised users.
Review database access logs for evidence of data extraction or unauthorized queries.
Restrict administrative WordPress access to trusted IP addresses via web server or firewall rules.

Patch Information

No patched version beyond 1.3 is referenced in the available advisory data. Administrators should monitor the Patchstack advisory and the plugin's WordPress.org page for an official fix.

Workarounds

Deactivate the plugin entirely if it is not essential to site functionality.
Enforce least-privilege access controls so fewer accounts hold the high privileges required for exploitation.
Deploy a virtual patch via a WAF that blocks SQL metacharacters in requests to the plugin's endpoints.
Apply database account separation so the WordPress process uses a database user with restricted privileges.

bash

# Example WAF rule snippet for ModSecurity to block common SQLi tokens against plugin paths
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@contains /wp-content/plugins/link-to-url-post/" \
  "phase:2,deny,status:403,id:1002501,\
  chain,msg:'Block SQLi attempt on link-to-url-post plugin'"
  SecRule ARGS "@rx (?i)(union(\s)+select|sleep\(|benchmark\(|or\s+1=1|and\s+1=1)" \
    "t:none,t:urlDecodeUni"