CVE-2025-39474: Thememove Amely SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2025-39474 Overview

CVE-2025-39474 is a critical SQL Injection vulnerability affecting the ThemeMove Amely WordPress theme. This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to inject malicious SQL commands through improperly neutralized user input, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive database information, data manipulation, and complete compromise of the WordPress installation.

Critical Impact

This SQL Injection vulnerability enables unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the WordPress database, potentially exposing user credentials, customer data, and allowing complete site takeover without any authentication requirements.

Affected Products

• ThemeMove Amely WordPress Theme versions through 3.1.4
• All WordPress installations using vulnerable Amely theme versions
• Sites with the thememove:amely component installed

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-06-27 - CVE-2025-39474 published to NVD
• 2026-02-11 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-39474

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands within the ThemeMove Amely WordPress theme. The theme fails to properly sanitize, escape, or parameterize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries, creating a classic SQL Injection attack surface.

WordPress themes that handle user input for features like product filtering, search functionality, or AJAX endpoints are particularly susceptible to SQL Injection when proper input validation is not implemented. In this case, the Amely theme—a premium WooCommerce theme—processes user input in a manner that allows attackers to manipulate the underlying database queries.

The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability means that any internet-facing WordPress site running the affected theme versions is at risk. No authentication or user interaction is required for exploitation, significantly lowering the barrier for successful attacks.

Root Cause

The root cause is classified under CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command). The Amely theme code directly incorporates user-controlled input into SQL statements without adequate sanitization or the use of prepared statements. This allows attackers to break out of the intended query context and inject their own malicious SQL commands.

WordPress provides built-in functions like $wpdb->prepare() specifically designed to prevent SQL Injection by using parameterized queries. The vulnerable code paths in Amely fail to utilize these security mechanisms, leaving the database exposed to injection attacks.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for CVE-2025-39474 is network-based, allowing remote exploitation without authentication. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests containing SQL injection payloads targeting vulnerable theme functionality. These payloads are then processed by the server and executed against the WordPress database.

Typical exploitation scenarios include:

• Extracting sensitive data from the wp_users table including password hashes
• Modifying existing content or user privileges in the database
• Injecting malicious content into the site
• Potential remote code execution through SQL-based file operations if database permissions allow

The vulnerability can be exploited through standard web requests, making it accessible to any attacker who can reach the WordPress installation over the network. Detailed technical information regarding the specific injection point can be found in the Patchstack security advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-39474

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual database queries in MySQL/MariaDB slow query logs containing SQL injection patterns such as UNION SELECT, OR 1=1, or -- comment sequences
• Web server access logs showing requests with suspicious URL parameters containing SQL syntax
• Unexpected database modifications, particularly in the wp_users or wp_options tables
• New administrator accounts or modified user privileges without legitimate administrative action

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common SQL injection patterns targeting WordPress themes
• Implement database activity monitoring to alert on anomalous query patterns or unauthorized data access
• Enable WordPress audit logging plugins to track suspicious activity and configuration changes
• Utilize SentinelOne's Singularity platform for endpoint detection of post-exploitation activity following successful SQL injection attacks

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure real-time alerting for SQL error messages in application logs that may indicate injection attempts
• Monitor outbound network traffic from database servers for potential data exfiltration
• Review web server logs regularly for requests targeting theme AJAX handlers or filter endpoints with abnormal parameter values

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-39474

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the ThemeMove Amely theme to a version newer than 3.1.4 that addresses this vulnerability
• If an update is not immediately available, consider temporarily disabling or removing the Amely theme until a patch is released
• Review database access logs and WordPress user accounts for signs of compromise
• Reset all WordPress user passwords, particularly administrator accounts, if compromise is suspected

Patch Information

Organizations using the ThemeMove Amely WordPress theme should check for updates through their ThemeForest account or the theme's official distribution channel. Ensure you are running a version higher than 3.1.4. For the latest patch status and vulnerability details, refer to the Patchstack vulnerability database entry.

Workarounds

• Deploy a Web Application Firewall with SQL injection protection rules to filter malicious requests before they reach the WordPress application
• Restrict database user privileges to the minimum required for WordPress operation, removing FILE and other dangerous permissions
• Implement network-level access controls to limit exposure of the WordPress admin and theme functionality to trusted IP ranges
• Consider using a WordPress security plugin that provides virtual patching capabilities for known vulnerabilities

# Configuration example
# Add SQL Injection protection rules to .htaccess (Apache)
# Place in WordPress root directory

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (\<|%3C).*script.*(\>|%3E) [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} UNION.*SELECT [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (\'|\")(.*)(drop|insert|md5|select|union) [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ - [F,L]
</IfModule>