CVE-2025-49421 Overview
CVE-2025-49421 is a SQL Injection vulnerability in the Andrei Filonov WP Text Expander plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions of wp-text-expander up to and including 1.0.1. It stems from improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command [CWE-89], allowing an authenticated attacker with high privileges to inject crafted SQL statements into vulnerable queries.
The issue is tracked under Patchstack's vulnerability database and carries a network attack vector with a scope change, meaning successful exploitation can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component.
Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can extract sensitive data from the WordPress database, including user credentials, session tokens, and configuration secrets stored in wp_options.
Affected Products
- Andrei Filonov WP Text Expander (wp-text-expander) plugin for WordPress
- All versions from initial release through 1.0.1
- WordPress sites that have installed and activated the vulnerable plugin
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-06-06 - CVE-2025-49421 published to NVD
- 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-49421
Vulnerability Analysis
The WP Text Expander plugin fails to properly sanitize or parameterize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries executed against the WordPress database. This classic SQL injection pattern [CWE-89] enables an attacker to break out of the intended query context and append arbitrary SQL clauses.
The vulnerability requires high privileges to exploit, which limits the attacker population to authenticated users with elevated roles such as administrator or editor. However, because the scope is changed, a successful injection can reach data and resources outside the plugin's direct trust boundary. The EPSS probability is 0.213%, placing the issue in the 43.787 percentile for likelihood of exploitation.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of prepared statements or proper input escaping when constructing SQL queries. The plugin concatenates request parameters directly into query strings rather than using WordPress's $wpdb->prepare() method with placeholders. Any special SQL metacharacters in attacker-controlled input are passed through to the database engine unchanged.
Attack Vector
An authenticated attacker sends crafted HTTP requests to the plugin's vulnerable endpoint. The malicious payload contains SQL syntax that alters the structure of the original query. Typical exploitation includes UNION-based extraction to retrieve rows from wp_users and wp_usermeta, boolean-based blind injection to enumerate database contents, and time-based blind injection using SLEEP() to confirm exploitability when output is not directly reflected.
The vulnerability is described in prose because no verified public exploit code is available. Refer to the Patchstack advisory for additional technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-49421
Indicators of Compromise
- Web server access logs showing requests to WP Text Expander endpoints containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, SLEEP(, or encoded variants like %27 and %20OR%20.
- Unusually long query strings or POST bodies sent to admin-ajax.php actions associated with the wp-text-expander plugin.
- Database error messages returned in HTTP responses referencing MySQL syntax errors near plugin-specific table or column names.
- Unexpected new administrator accounts or modifications to the wp_users and wp_options tables.
Detection Strategies
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule set that inspects requests to /wp-admin/ and /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php for SQL injection signatures.
- Enable WordPress query logging or MySQL general query logs and alert on queries containing suspicious tautologies such as OR 1=1 or stacked statements.
- Correlate authenticated session activity with anomalous database read volume from privileged accounts.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Audit all installed WordPress plugins and flag any instance of wp-text-expander at version 1.0.1 or earlier.
- Monitor outbound traffic from the WordPress host for data exfiltration patterns following administrative logins.
- Review WordPress audit logs for privilege changes, new user creation, and option table modifications occurring outside normal change windows.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-49421
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate and remove the WP Text Expander plugin if a patched version is not yet available from the vendor.
- Rotate all WordPress administrator and editor passwords, and invalidate active sessions by changing authentication keys in wp-config.php.
- Review the wp_users table for unauthorized accounts and the wp_options table for unexpected entries.
- Restrict access to the WordPress administration interface using IP allowlisting or VPN-only access.
Patch Information
As of the last NVD update on 2026-04-23, the advisory lists affected versions through 1.0.1 with no fixed version explicitly documented in the available references. Administrators should consult the Patchstack advisory for the latest remediation status and confirm with the WordPress plugin repository before reinstalling.
Workarounds
- Remove the wp-text-expander plugin entirely until a verified patched release is published by the vendor.
- Enforce least privilege by reducing the number of accounts with administrator or editor roles that meet the high-privilege precondition for exploitation.
- Deploy virtual patching through a WAF to block SQL injection payloads targeting the plugin's endpoints.
- Enable two-factor authentication on all privileged WordPress accounts to raise the cost of credential compromise.
# Configuration example: locate and remove the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin list --name=wp-text-expander --field=version
wp plugin deactivate wp-text-expander
wp plugin uninstall wp-text-expander
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
