CVE-2025-26755 Overview
CVE-2025-26755 is a blind SQL injection vulnerability in the WP Airbnb Review Slider plugin for WordPress, developed by jgwhite33. The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 3.9. Attackers with high-privilege access can inject SQL statements through unsanitized input passed to database queries. Because the vulnerability is blind, attackers infer data through boolean or time-based responses rather than direct output. The issue is tracked under CWE-89, improper neutralization of special elements in an SQL command.
Critical Impact
An authenticated attacker can extract sensitive database contents, including user credentials and site configuration data, through blind SQL injection queries against the WordPress database.
Affected Products
- WP Airbnb Review Slider plugin for WordPress
- All versions from n/a through 3.9
- WordPress sites running the vulnerable wp-airbnb-review-slider plugin
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-02-16 - CVE-2025-26755 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-26755
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input incorporated into SQL statements executed by the WP Airbnb Review Slider plugin. The plugin fails to properly sanitize or parameterize input before passing it to WordPress database query functions. This gap allows an attacker to break out of the intended query context and append arbitrary SQL clauses. Because responses do not echo query results, the attacker must use blind injection techniques to enumerate data. Exploitation requires high privileges, limiting the vulnerability to authenticated actors such as administrators or editors depending on plugin permission checks. The scope change indicates that successful exploitation impacts resources beyond the plugin's security boundary.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of prepared statements or proper input sanitization when handling parameters supplied to plugin endpoints. Instead of using $wpdb->prepare() with placeholders, the code likely concatenates user input directly into SQL query strings. This coding pattern permits attacker-controlled characters such as single quotes, comments, and UNION clauses to alter query structure.
Attack Vector
An authenticated attacker sends crafted HTTP requests to a plugin endpoint that reaches the vulnerable database query. The attacker injects conditional expressions such as boolean tests or time-delay functions like SLEEP() to infer values one bit at a time. Repeated requests allow full extraction of database contents including the wp_users table. The attack is fully remote and does not require user interaction. Refer to the Patchstack SQL Injection Report for additional technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-26755
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual authenticated HTTP requests to wp-airbnb-review-slider plugin endpoints containing SQL metacharacters such as ', --, UNION, or SLEEP(
- Elevated response times on plugin endpoints suggesting time-based blind injection attempts
- Unexpected database queries in MySQL slow query logs referencing plugin tables outside normal plugin workflows
- Web server logs showing repetitive requests from a single authenticated session with varying payload parameters
Detection Strategies
- Enable WordPress query logging or MySQL general query log and inspect for anomalous statements originating from the plugin
- Deploy a web application firewall with SQL injection signatures targeting WordPress plugin request patterns
- Correlate authenticated session activity with database query volume to identify enumeration behavior
Monitoring Recommendations
- Monitor authenticated administrative sessions for atypical request rates to plugin AJAX or REST endpoints
- Alert on database errors and query timeouts originating from the plugin's PHP handlers
- Track privileged user account activity for signs of credential misuse that could enable this authenticated attack
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-26755
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate and remove the WP Airbnb Review Slider plugin until a patched version is confirmed by the vendor
- Audit WordPress user accounts and revoke unnecessary administrative or editor privileges to reduce authenticated attack surface
- Rotate credentials for all high-privilege WordPress accounts and any database users accessible from the application
- Review recent database access logs for signs of data exfiltration or unauthorized queries
Patch Information
No fixed version is listed in the referenced advisory at the time of publication. Consult the Patchstack advisory for the latest vendor patch status and upgrade guidance.
Workarounds
- Restrict access to WordPress administrative endpoints using IP allowlists at the web server or reverse proxy layer
- Deploy a WAF rule set that blocks SQL injection patterns targeting plugin request parameters
- Enforce multi-factor authentication on all privileged WordPress accounts to limit credential-based compromise
- Apply database least-privilege by restricting the WordPress database user to only required tables and operations
# Example: disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate wp-airbnb-review-slider
wp plugin delete wp-airbnb-review-slider
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
