CVE-2025-28873 Overview
CVE-2025-28873 is a blind SQL injection vulnerability in the Scott Taylor Shuffle WordPress theme. The flaw affects all versions through 0.5 and stems from improper neutralization of special elements in SQL commands [CWE-89]. Authenticated attackers with low privileges can inject arbitrary SQL statements through unsanitized inputs. Successful exploitation enables attackers to extract sensitive database contents, including credentials and post data, using time-based or boolean-based inference techniques. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality at a high level and availability at a low level across the affected WordPress installations.
Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can extract sensitive database contents from WordPress sites running the Shuffle theme version 0.5 and earlier through blind SQL injection.
Affected Products
- Scott Taylor Shuffle WordPress theme — versions up to and including 0.5
- WordPress installations using the Shuffle theme
- No vendor patch identified at the time of publication
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-03-26 - CVE-2025-28873 published to NVD
- 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-28873
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the Shuffle WordPress theme, where user-controlled input is concatenated directly into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization. Attackers send specially crafted requests containing SQL metacharacters that the theme passes to the WordPress database layer. Because the application does not return query results directly to the attacker, exploitation relies on blind injection techniques. Attackers infer data by observing application response differences or by introducing time delays through SQL functions such as SLEEP() or BENCHMARK().
The attack requires low-privilege authentication but no user interaction. The scope is changed, indicating the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component, including the underlying WordPress database hosting other plugins and themes.
Root Cause
The root cause is the failure to use prepared statements or proper input sanitization when constructing SQL queries. WordPress provides the $wpdb->prepare() method specifically to prevent this class of vulnerability, but the Shuffle theme constructs queries through string concatenation instead. This pattern is the canonical SQL injection antipattern documented under [CWE-89].
Attack Vector
An authenticated attacker submits HTTP requests to the vulnerable theme endpoints with payloads containing SQL syntax. The attacker uses boolean-based blind injection by injecting conditional AND clauses and observing response variations, or time-based injection by injecting SLEEP() calls and measuring response delays. Through iterative queries, the attacker can enumerate database schema, extract user credentials from wp_users, and access session tokens stored in wp_usermeta. See the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability advisory for additional technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-28873
Indicators of Compromise
- HTTP requests to Shuffle theme endpoints containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, SLEEP, or BENCHMARK
- Unusual response time variations on requests to theme-related URLs
- Repeated authenticated requests with incrementally varying parameters indicating enumeration
- Database error messages in web server logs referencing the Shuffle theme
Detection Strategies
- Deploy web application firewall rules that flag SQL metacharacters in parameters sent to WordPress theme endpoints
- Monitor WordPress access logs for authenticated users generating high volumes of parameterized requests to theme files
- Inspect database query logs for queries containing string-concatenated user input or time-delay functions
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable query logging on the WordPress MySQL/MariaDB backend to capture suspicious patterns
- Alert on repeated 200-status responses with significant latency variance from the same authenticated session
- Correlate WordPress user activity with database resource consumption spikes
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-28873
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate and remove the Shuffle theme from any WordPress installation until a patched version is released
- Audit WordPress user accounts and rotate credentials for any low-privilege accounts that may have been used to exploit the flaw
- Apply WAF rules blocking SQL injection patterns targeting theme parameters
- Review database access logs for signs of prior exploitation
Patch Information
No vendor patch has been identified in the available CVE data. Refer to the Patchstack advisory for updates on remediation status. Site administrators should switch to an actively maintained theme until a fix is available.
Workarounds
- Replace the Shuffle theme with an actively maintained alternative
- Restrict access to WordPress authenticated endpoints through IP allowlisting where feasible
- Enforce least-privilege principles by limiting accounts capable of accessing theme functionality
- Deploy a WAF with WordPress-specific rulesets that block SQL injection signatures
# Example WAF rule snippet (ModSecurity) to flag SQL injection attempts on WordPress endpoints
SecRule ARGS "@rx (?i)(union(.*?)select|sleep\(|benchmark\(|--|;--)" \
"id:1002873,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'Potential SQLi targeting Shuffle theme CVE-2025-28873'"
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
