CVE-2025-28898: WP Multistore Locator SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2025-28898 Overview

CVE-2025-28898 is a SQL Injection vulnerability affecting the WP Multistore Locator WordPress plugin. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands, allowing attackers to inject malicious SQL statements through the plugin's input handling mechanisms. This flaw enables unauthorized database access without requiring authentication.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this SQL Injection vulnerability to extract sensitive data from WordPress databases, potentially compromising user credentials, site configurations, and other confidential information stored in the database.

Affected Products

WP Multistore Locator plugin versions up to and including 2.5.2
WordPress installations using vulnerable WP Multistore Locator versions

Discovery Timeline

2025-03-26 - CVE-2025-28898 published to NVD
2025-03-27 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-28898

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command). The WP Multistore Locator plugin fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries. This lack of input validation allows attackers to manipulate database queries by injecting specially crafted SQL syntax through plugin parameters.

The vulnerability is exploitable over the network without requiring any user interaction or authentication, making it particularly dangerous for public-facing WordPress sites. A successful exploit can result in unauthorized read access to sensitive database contents and may also cause limited disruption to database availability.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input sanitization within the WP Multistore Locator plugin. User-controlled input is passed directly to SQL queries without proper parameterization or escaping of special SQL characters. WordPress provides built-in functions such as $wpdb->prepare() for safe database queries, but the vulnerable code paths in this plugin do not utilize these protective mechanisms.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, meaning an attacker can exploit this vulnerability remotely without requiring local access to the target system. The exploitation does not require authentication or any form of user privileges, making all WordPress sites running vulnerable versions of WP Multistore Locator potential targets.

An attacker would typically craft malicious HTTP requests containing SQL injection payloads directed at vulnerable plugin endpoints. These payloads could include UNION-based injection techniques to extract data from other tables, boolean-based blind injection to enumerate database contents character by character, or time-based blind injection using database sleep functions to infer information.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-28898

Indicators of Compromise

Unusual database query patterns or errors in WordPress debug logs related to the WP Multistore Locator plugin
HTTP requests to store locator endpoints containing SQL syntax characters such as single quotes, UNION statements, or comment markers
Unexpected database access patterns or elevated query execution times
Web server logs showing suspicious requests with encoded SQL payloads targeting plugin-related URLs

Detection Strategies

Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in requests to WordPress plugin endpoints
Monitor WordPress error logs for SQL syntax errors that may indicate exploitation attempts
Deploy database activity monitoring to identify abnormal query patterns or unauthorized data access
Use intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common SQL injection attack patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable comprehensive logging for all WordPress database queries during incident investigation periods
Configure alerts for HTTP requests containing typical SQL injection characters such as ', ", --, /*, and UNION
Implement rate limiting on store locator plugin endpoints to slow potential automated exploitation
Review database audit logs for unexpected SELECT operations on sensitive tables like wp_users

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-28898

Immediate Actions Required

Audit your WordPress installation to determine if WP Multistore Locator plugin is installed and identify the current version
If an updated version addressing this vulnerability is available, apply the patch immediately
Consider temporarily deactivating the WP Multistore Locator plugin until a security patch is confirmed and applied
Implement WAF rules to filter SQL injection attempts targeting your WordPress site
Review database access logs for any signs of prior exploitation

Patch Information

The vulnerability affects WP Multistore Locator versions through 2.5.2. Site administrators should check for updated versions of the plugin that address this SQL injection vulnerability. For detailed vulnerability information and remediation guidance, refer to the Patchstack vulnerability advisory.

Workarounds

Deploy a Web Application Firewall with SQL injection protection rules to filter malicious requests
Restrict access to the store locator functionality through .htaccess rules or server-level access controls if the feature is not critical
Implement IP-based access restrictions for administrative or sensitive plugin endpoints
Consider using WordPress security plugins that provide virtual patching capabilities for known vulnerabilities

bash

# Example: Block SQL injection patterns in Apache .htaccess
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (\%27)|(\')|(\-\-)|(\%23)|(#) [NC,OR]
    RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (union)(.*)(select) [NC,OR]
    RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (select)(.*)(from) [NC]
    RewriteRule ^(.*)$ - [F,L]
</IfModule>