CVE-2025-49870: Paid Member Subscriptions SQL Injection

CVE-2025-49870 Overview

CVE-2025-49870 is an SQL Injection vulnerability affecting the Cozmoslabs Paid Member Subscriptions WordPress plugin. This vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands (CWE-89), allowing attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of this plugin are at risk of database compromise, unauthorized data access, and potential full site takeover.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation of this SQL Injection vulnerability could allow attackers to read, modify, or delete sensitive database contents including user credentials, payment information, and membership data stored by the Paid Member Subscriptions plugin.

Affected Products

• Paid Member Subscriptions plugin versions through 2.15.1
• WordPress installations using vulnerable plugin versions

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-07-04 - CVE-2025-49870 published to NVD
• 2026-04-01 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-49870

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability exists in the Paid Member Subscriptions WordPress plugin developed by Cozmoslabs. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization of user-supplied data before it is incorporated into SQL queries. When user input is directly concatenated or improperly escaped within database queries, attackers can manipulate the query logic to execute unauthorized SQL commands.

SQL Injection vulnerabilities in WordPress plugins are particularly dangerous because they can provide attackers with direct access to the WordPress database, which contains user accounts, passwords, posts, and in the case of membership plugins, potentially sensitive payment and subscription data.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands. The plugin fails to adequately sanitize or parameterize user input before including it in database queries. This violates secure coding practices that mandate the use of prepared statements or parameterized queries to prevent SQL Injection attacks. Without proper input validation, special SQL characters and commands embedded in user input are interpreted as part of the SQL query rather than as literal data.

Attack Vector

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious input containing SQL syntax and submitting it through vulnerable plugin functionality. The attack does not require authentication in many SQL Injection scenarios, though the specific attack surface depends on which plugin component contains the vulnerable code.

When the malicious input reaches the database query, the injected SQL commands are executed with the privileges of the database user configured for the WordPress installation. This can enable attackers to:

• Extract sensitive data from database tables
• Modify or delete database records
• Bypass authentication mechanisms
• Potentially escalate to remote code execution through database features like INTO OUTFILE

For technical details on the vulnerability, refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-49870

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual database queries in WordPress logs containing SQL injection patterns such as UNION SELECT, OR 1=1, or comment sequences (--, /*)
• Unexpected database errors or verbose error messages exposed to users
• Unexplained changes to database records, particularly in membership or user tables
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unauthorized access to subscription data

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common SQL Injection payloads targeting WordPress plugins
• Monitor database query logs for anomalous patterns including time-based blind injection attempts using SLEEP() or BENCHMARK()
• Implement file integrity monitoring on WordPress plugin directories to detect unauthorized modifications
• Use security plugins that scan for known vulnerable plugin versions

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for database queries and review logs for suspicious activity patterns
• Configure alerts for failed login attempts and unusual administrative actions following potential exploitation
• Monitor for unexpected outbound network connections from the web server that could indicate data exfiltration
• Regularly audit installed plugin versions against vulnerability databases

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-49870

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the Paid Member Subscriptions plugin to a version newer than 2.15.1 immediately
• If an update is not available, consider temporarily deactivating the plugin until a patch is released
• Review database logs for signs of exploitation or unauthorized access
• Audit and rotate database credentials if compromise is suspected
• Implement a WAF with SQL Injection protection rules as an additional defense layer

Patch Information

Organizations should update the Paid Member Subscriptions plugin to the latest available version that addresses this vulnerability. Check the WordPress plugin repository or the official Cozmoslabs website for security updates. Additional details can be found in the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.

Workarounds

• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL Injection detection rules to filter malicious requests
• Restrict database user privileges to the minimum required for WordPress operation
• Implement input validation at the web server level using ModSecurity or similar solutions
• Consider temporarily disabling the vulnerable plugin functionality until a patch is applied

# Example: Restrict database privileges for WordPress user
# Revoke unnecessary privileges that could be exploited via SQL injection
mysql -u root -p -e "REVOKE FILE, PROCESS, SUPER ON *.* FROM 'wordpress_user'@'localhost';"
mysql -u root -p -e "FLUSH PRIVILEGES;"