CVE-2025-52714: Traveler Plugin SQL Injection Flaw

CVE-2025-52714 Overview

CVE-2025-52714 is a critical SQL Injection vulnerability affecting the Traveler WordPress theme developed by shinetheme. This vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database by exploiting improper neutralization of special elements in SQL queries. As a CWE-89 classified vulnerability, this flaw occurs when user-supplied input is directly incorporated into SQL statements without proper sanitization or parameterization.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this SQL Injection vulnerability to extract sensitive data from the database, including user credentials, personal information, and potentially gain administrative access to affected WordPress installations.

Affected Products

• shinetheme Traveler WordPress Theme version 3.2.2 and earlier
• WordPress installations running vulnerable versions of the Traveler theme

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-07-16 - CVE-2025-52714 published to NVD
• 2025-07-16 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-52714

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability exists in the shinetheme Traveler WordPress theme due to improper handling of user-controlled input in database queries. The vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious SQL commands that are then executed by the database server with the privileges of the application's database user.

The attack can be executed remotely over the network without requiring any authentication or user interaction. The vulnerability has a changed scope, meaning successful exploitation can impact resources beyond the vulnerable component itself. While the confidentiality impact is high (allowing full database disclosure), the integrity impact is none and availability impact is low.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-52714 is the failure to properly sanitize or parameterize user input before incorporating it into SQL queries. WordPress themes and plugins that construct SQL statements by concatenating user input directly into query strings are susceptible to this class of vulnerability. The Traveler theme does not adequately validate or escape special SQL characters in user-supplied data, allowing attackers to break out of the intended query structure and inject arbitrary SQL commands.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based, requiring no authentication or privileges to exploit. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests containing SQL injection payloads targeting vulnerable input parameters within the Traveler theme. The exploitation complexity is low, meaning no special conditions or circumstances are required for a successful attack.

Successful exploitation allows attackers to:

• Extract sensitive data from the WordPress database including user credentials, personal information, and configuration data
• Enumerate database structure and contents
• Potentially escalate privileges by modifying user roles or creating administrative accounts
• Bypass authentication mechanisms by manipulating query logic

The vulnerability mechanism involves injecting SQL metacharacters and commands into vulnerable parameters. When the theme processes these inputs without proper sanitization, the injected SQL becomes part of the executed query, allowing attackers to alter query logic or execute additional statements. For detailed technical analysis and exploitation vectors, refer to the Patchstack SQL Injection Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-52714

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual database query patterns in web server or database logs containing SQL syntax anomalies
• HTTP requests with SQL metacharacters (single quotes, semicolons, UNION statements, comment sequences) in URL parameters or POST data
• Unexpected database errors or error messages exposed in application responses
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unauthorized database access in audit logs

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common SQL injection patterns targeting WordPress installations
• Monitor database query logs for suspicious queries containing UNION, SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, or DROP statements from web application contexts
• Implement intrusion detection signatures for SQL injection attempts against known vulnerable Traveler theme endpoints
• Use SentinelOne Singularity XDR to correlate network traffic anomalies with endpoint behavior for comprehensive threat detection

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging on WordPress and the underlying database server to capture all queries and access attempts
• Configure real-time alerting for SQL error conditions that may indicate injection attempts
• Review access logs regularly for requests containing encoded or obfuscated SQL injection payloads
• Monitor for unusual data access patterns or bulk data retrieval from the WordPress database

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-52714

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the shinetheme Traveler WordPress theme to the latest patched version immediately
• Review web server and database logs for evidence of prior exploitation attempts
• Conduct a security audit of the WordPress database to identify any unauthorized modifications or data access
• Consider temporarily disabling the Traveler theme until a patched version can be applied if updates are not immediately available

Patch Information

Security patches addressing CVE-2025-52714 are available through the theme vendor. Administrators should update to a version newer than 3.2.2 of the Traveler theme. Consult the Patchstack SQL Injection Advisory for specific remediation guidance and patch details.

Workarounds

• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules to filter malicious requests before they reach the application
• Implement input validation at the web server level using ModSecurity or similar tools to block requests containing SQL metacharacters
• Restrict database user privileges to the minimum required for WordPress operation, limiting potential damage from successful exploitation
• Enable WordPress security plugins that provide real-time protection against SQL injection attacks

# Example ModSecurity rule for SQL injection protection
SecRule ARGS "@detectSQLi" "id:1001,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'SQL Injection Attempt Detected',log,auditlog"