CVE-2025-27268: Small Package Quotes Plugin SQLi Flaw

CVE-2025-27268 Overview

CVE-2025-27268 is a critical SQL Injection vulnerability affecting the Small Package Quotes – Worldwide Express Edition WordPress plugin developed by enituretechnology. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to inject malicious SQL commands through improperly neutralized special elements, potentially leading to unauthorized data access and system compromise.

Critical Impact

This SQL Injection vulnerability enables unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary SQL queries against the WordPress database, potentially exposing sensitive user data, credentials, and enabling further system compromise.

Affected Products

• Small Package Quotes – Worldwide Express Edition versions through 5.2.18
• WordPress installations using the affected plugin versions

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-03-03 - CVE CVE-2025-27268 published to NVD
• 2025-03-03 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-27268

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command). The plugin fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries, creating a classic SQL Injection attack surface. Since the vulnerability is network-accessible without authentication requirements, attackers can exploit it remotely against any WordPress site running the vulnerable plugin version.

The scope of impact extends beyond the vulnerable component itself, as successful exploitation could compromise the confidentiality of the entire WordPress database while also potentially causing limited availability disruption.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in inadequate input validation and sanitization within the Small Package Quotes – Worldwide Express Edition plugin. User-controlled input is passed directly to SQL query construction without proper parameterization or escaping of special characters. This allows attackers to break out of the intended query context and inject arbitrary SQL statements.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is exploitable over the network without requiring authentication or user interaction. Attackers can craft malicious HTTP requests containing SQL injection payloads targeting vulnerable plugin endpoints. The injection point allows attackers to manipulate database queries to:

• Extract sensitive data from the WordPress database including user credentials
• Enumerate database structure and table contents
• Potentially modify or delete database records
• Leverage database-specific functions for further exploitation

The attack does not require any special privileges or user interaction, making it highly accessible to opportunistic attackers scanning for vulnerable WordPress installations.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-27268

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual database queries in WordPress/MySQL logs containing SQL injection patterns such as UNION SELECT, OR 1=1, or comment sequences (--, /*)
• Unexpected database read operations or data exfiltration attempts
• HTTP requests to plugin endpoints containing encoded SQL characters or suspicious payloads
• Error messages in application logs indicating malformed SQL queries

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in HTTP requests
• Monitor WordPress database query logs for anomalous or unauthorized SELECT statements
• Implement intrusion detection signatures for common SQL injection payloads targeting WordPress plugins
• Review access logs for requests to Small Package Quotes plugin endpoints with suspicious query parameters

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed query logging on the WordPress database server to capture potential exploitation attempts
• Configure alerting for failed SQL query attempts or database errors that may indicate probing activity
• Monitor for unexpected outbound data transfers from the database server
• Implement file integrity monitoring on WordPress core files and plugin directories

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-27268

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the Small Package Quotes – Worldwide Express Edition plugin to a patched version immediately if available
• If no patch is available, consider temporarily deactivating the plugin until a fix is released
• Implement WAF rules to block SQL injection attempts targeting the vulnerable plugin
• Review database access logs for signs of prior exploitation
• Change database credentials and WordPress admin passwords as a precautionary measure

Patch Information

Organizations should check for plugin updates through the WordPress admin dashboard or directly from the vendor. For detailed vulnerability information and patch status, refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.

Workarounds

• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules as a temporary mitigation
• Restrict network access to WordPress admin and plugin endpoints where feasible
• Implement database-level access controls to limit the privileges available to the WordPress database user
• Consider using a WordPress security plugin that provides virtual patching capabilities for known vulnerabilities

# Example: Restrict database user privileges (MySQL)
# Limit WordPress database user to minimum required permissions
REVOKE ALL PRIVILEGES ON wordpress_db.* FROM 'wp_user'@'localhost';
GRANT SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE ON wordpress_db.* TO 'wp_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;