CVE-2025-49455: WPJobBoard Blind SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2025-49455 Overview

CVE-2025-49455 is a blind SQL injection vulnerability in the ClickandPledge WordPress-WPJobBoard plugin (click-pledge-wpjobboard) for WordPress. The flaw stems from improper neutralization of special elements in SQL statements [CWE-89]. Affected versions span from initial release through 25.07010000-WP6.8.1-JB5.11.5. Attackers can exploit the issue over the network without authentication or user interaction. Successful exploitation leads to database content disclosure through inference-based queries, with potential for limited availability impact on the WordPress backend.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can inject SQL payloads against WordPress sites running vulnerable WPJobBoard plugin versions, exfiltrating sensitive data from the WordPress database through blind injection techniques.

Affected Products

ClickandPledge WordPress-WPJobBoard plugin (click-pledge-wpjobboard)
All versions from initial release through 25.07010000-WP6.8.1-JB5.11.5
WordPress sites running the vulnerable plugin

Discovery Timeline

2025-06-10 - CVE-2025-49455 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-49455

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the WPJobBoard plugin's handling of user-supplied input passed into SQL statements. The plugin fails to properly sanitize or parameterize input before incorporating it into database queries. This allows attackers to manipulate query logic by injecting crafted SQL fragments through plugin parameters exposed to unauthenticated users.

Because exploitation is blind, attackers cannot read query results directly in HTTP responses. Instead, they infer data using boolean conditions, time delays, or differential response analysis. The Patchstack advisory classifies the issue under CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing input validation and unsafe SQL query construction. Vulnerable code paths concatenate untrusted input directly into SQL statements rather than using prepared statements through the WordPress $wpdb->prepare() API. Without parameterized queries, special characters such as single quotes, comments, and Boolean operators alter query structure.

Attack Vector

An unauthenticated attacker sends crafted HTTP requests to plugin endpoints that accept job board parameters. The attacker injects SQL syntax such as Boolean conditions (AND 1=1 versus AND 1=2) or time-based payloads (SLEEP(5)) to extract data byte by byte. The scope is changed, indicating that exploitation can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component, including data accessible to other WordPress users.

No verified public exploit code is available at this time. Refer to the Patchstack advisory for technical reference.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-49455

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to WPJobBoard plugin endpoints containing SQL metacharacters such as ', --, UNION, SLEEP(, or BENCHMARK(
Unusual response time patterns suggesting time-based blind SQL injection probing
Repeated requests differing only by a single Boolean condition, indicating inference-based extraction
Unexpected entries in WordPress database error logs referencing malformed SQL statements

Detection Strategies

Inspect web server access logs for query parameters containing SQL syntax targeting WPJobBoard endpoints under /wp-content/plugins/click-pledge-wpjobboard/
Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules that flag injection attempts against WordPress plugin parameters
Correlate authentication-free requests with high-volume parameter fuzzing patterns characteristic of automated SQLi tools such as sqlmap

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable WordPress database query logging on staging environments to baseline normal plugin SQL behavior
Monitor outbound database connection patterns for anomalous query volumes from the WordPress host
Alert on HTTP 500 responses returned from WPJobBoard plugin paths, which often indicate injection probing

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-49455

Immediate Actions Required

Identify all WordPress installations running the click-pledge-wpjobboard plugin and inventory their versions
Upgrade to a patched release published after 25.07010000-WP6.8.1-JB5.11.5 once the vendor makes one available
Restrict access to WPJobBoard plugin endpoints behind a WAF or reverse proxy with SQL injection signatures enabled
Rotate WordPress database credentials and administrator passwords if compromise is suspected

Patch Information

At the time of NVD publication, refer to the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability advisory for the latest remediation guidance and patched version details from ClickandPledge.

Workarounds

Temporarily disable the WPJobBoard plugin if a patched version is unavailable
Configure WAF rules to block requests containing SQL metacharacters targeting plugin parameters
Apply principle of least privilege to the WordPress database user, limiting it to only the tables and operations required by the application

bash

# Example WP-CLI commands to identify and disable the vulnerable plugin
wp plugin list --name=click-pledge-wpjobboard --fields=name,status,version
wp plugin deactivate click-pledge-wpjobboard