CVE-2025-54720: Nest Addons SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2025-54720 Overview

CVE-2025-54720 is a critical SQL Injection vulnerability affecting the SteelThemes Nest Addons WordPress plugin. This vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands, allowing unauthenticated attackers to inject malicious SQL queries through network-accessible endpoints. The flaw enables unauthorized access to sensitive database content and potential data exfiltration from affected WordPress installations.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this SQL Injection vulnerability to extract sensitive data from WordPress databases, potentially compromising user credentials, personal information, and site configurations without any user interaction required.

Affected Products

• SteelThemes Nest Addons plugin versions up to and including 1.6.3
• WordPress installations running vulnerable versions of Nest Addons
• All configurations of Nest Addons from initial release through 1.6.3

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-08-28 - CVE-2025-54720 published to NVD
• 2025-08-29 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-54720

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) exists within the Nest Addons WordPress plugin developed by SteelThemes. The vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate SQL queries through user-controllable input that is not properly sanitized before being incorporated into database queries.

The attack can be executed remotely over the network without requiring authentication or user interaction. The scope of impact extends beyond the vulnerable component itself, potentially affecting the confidentiality of the entire WordPress database. While the primary impact is high confidentiality loss through data extraction, there is also a low availability impact, suggesting potential for database disruption during exploitation.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation and the absence of proper parameterized queries or prepared statements within the Nest Addons plugin code. User-supplied data is directly concatenated into SQL statements without adequate sanitization, allowing special SQL characters and commands to be interpreted as part of the query structure rather than as literal data values.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring no privileges or authentication to exploit. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests containing SQL injection payloads targeting vulnerable endpoints within the Nest Addons plugin. The low attack complexity means that exploitation is straightforward and does not require specialized conditions or circumstances.

The exploitation flow typically involves:

1. Identifying an input parameter processed by the Nest Addons plugin
2. Injecting SQL syntax that breaks out of the intended query structure
3. Appending additional SQL commands to extract data or manipulate the database
4. Retrieving sensitive information from the WordPress database through error-based, blind, or UNION-based injection techniques

For detailed technical information about this vulnerability, refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-54720

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual database query patterns or errors in WordPress/PHP error logs indicating malformed SQL syntax
• HTTP access logs showing requests with SQL keywords (UNION, SELECT, INSERT, DROP) in URL parameters or POST data targeting Nest Addons endpoints
• Unexpected database read operations or data extraction activity from the WordPress database
• Anomalous outbound traffic from the web server potentially containing exfiltrated data

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common SQL injection patterns in requests to WordPress plugin endpoints
• Monitor WordPress and PHP error logs for SQL syntax errors that may indicate injection attempts
• Implement database activity monitoring to alert on unusual query patterns or bulk data reads
• Use security plugins that provide real-time threat detection for WordPress installations

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive logging for the WordPress installation including all HTTP requests and database queries
• Set up alerting for failed or malformed database queries that could indicate exploitation attempts
• Monitor the Nest Addons plugin directory for any unauthorized file modifications
• Regularly audit WordPress user accounts and database access patterns for anomalies

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-54720

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the Nest Addons plugin to a patched version beyond 1.6.3 if available from SteelThemes
• If no patch is available, consider temporarily deactivating the Nest Addons plugin until a fix is released
• Implement WAF rules to filter SQL injection attempts targeting the WordPress installation
• Review database access logs for signs of prior exploitation and assess potential data exposure

Patch Information

Check the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the latest patch status and update information from SteelThemes. Ensure automatic updates are enabled for WordPress plugins where possible, and verify that the installed version is no longer vulnerable.

Workarounds

• Deploy a Web Application Firewall with SQL injection detection rules to filter malicious requests before they reach the vulnerable plugin
• Restrict access to WordPress admin and plugin functionality to trusted IP addresses where feasible
• Implement database-level security controls such as least-privilege access for the WordPress database user
• Consider using WordPress security plugins that provide virtual patching capabilities for known vulnerabilities

# Example: Restrict access to WordPress plugin directories via .htaccess
# Add to .htaccess in the WordPress root directory

# Block common SQL injection patterns
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} [a-zA-Z0-9_]=.*(\%27|\'|\%22|\"|;|\%3B|union|select|insert|drop|update|delete|concat|char|0x) [NC]
RewriteRule .* - [F,L]
</IfModule>