CVE-2026-0806: WP-ClanWars Plugin SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2026-0806 Overview

The WP-ClanWars plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to SQL Injection via the orderby parameter in all versions up to, and including, 2.0.1. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient escaping on the user-supplied parameter and lack of sufficient preparation on the existing SQL query. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with administrator-level access and above, to append additional SQL queries into already existing queries that can be used to extract sensitive information from the database.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers with administrator privileges can exploit this SQL Injection vulnerability to extract sensitive information from the WordPress database, potentially compromising user credentials, site configurations, and other confidential data.

Affected Products

• WP-ClanWars WordPress Plugin versions up to and including 2.0.1
• WordPress installations with vulnerable WP-ClanWars plugin installed
• Sites utilizing the teams management functionality within WP-ClanWars

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-24 - CVE-2026-0806 published to NVD
• 2026-01-26 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-0806

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) affects the WP-ClanWars plugin's team management functionality. The vulnerable code resides in the teams.class.php file at line 92, where user-supplied input through the orderby parameter is incorporated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterized query preparation.

While the vulnerability requires administrator-level authentication to exploit, it represents a significant security concern because compromised admin accounts or malicious insiders could leverage this flaw to dump the entire database contents. The attack is network-accessible and requires no user interaction, making exploitation straightforward once authentication is achieved.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command (CWE-89). The plugin fails to properly escape or sanitize the orderby parameter before incorporating it into SQL queries. Additionally, the code does not use prepared statements or parameterized queries, which would have prevented SQL injection attacks regardless of input validation.

The vulnerable code path can be examined in the WordPress Plugin Code Reference, where the orderby parameter is directly concatenated into the SQL query string without proper sanitization.

Attack Vector

The attack is conducted over the network against WordPress installations running the vulnerable WP-ClanWars plugin. An attacker must first authenticate with administrator-level privileges to the WordPress dashboard. Once authenticated, the attacker can manipulate the orderby parameter in requests to the teams management functionality.

By injecting malicious SQL syntax into this parameter, an attacker can modify the intended query behavior to extract data from arbitrary database tables, potentially revealing password hashes, user emails, session tokens, and other sensitive information stored in the WordPress database.

The vulnerability is exploited through manipulation of the orderby parameter in administrative requests to the teams management interface. By appending SQL operators and subqueries, an attacker can extract data from database tables beyond the intended scope. Detailed technical analysis is available in the Wordfence Vulnerability Analysis.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-0806

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL error messages appearing in WordPress logs related to the WP-ClanWars plugin
• Suspicious HTTP requests to WP-ClanWars administrative endpoints containing SQL keywords like UNION, SELECT, or ORDER BY with unusual payloads
• Database query logs showing malformed or unexpected queries originating from the teams management functionality
• Unexpected data access patterns or large result sets from the teams.class.php component

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in the orderby parameter
• Monitor WordPress access logs for requests containing SQL injection signatures targeting /wp-admin/ paths with WP-ClanWars parameters
• Enable MySQL query logging to identify anomalous queries with unexpected ORDER BY clauses or UNION operators
• Deploy SentinelOne Singularity to detect post-exploitation activities such as credential dumping or lateral movement

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure alerting for any SQL error exceptions originating from the WP-ClanWars plugin directory
• Monitor administrator account activity for unusual patterns or access from unexpected IP addresses
• Implement database activity monitoring to track queries against sensitive tables like wp_users
• Review web server logs regularly for HTTP 500 errors or suspicious parameter patterns in plugin requests

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-0806

Immediate Actions Required

• Audit administrator accounts and revoke access for any unnecessary privileged users
• Review access logs for evidence of exploitation attempts targeting the orderby parameter
• Consider temporarily disabling the WP-ClanWars plugin until a patch is available
• Implement additional access controls to restrict administrative functionality to trusted IP addresses

Patch Information

At the time of publication, no official patch has been confirmed. Site administrators should monitor the WordPress plugin repository for updates to WP-ClanWars beyond version 2.0.1. The vulnerability details are tracked in the Wordfence Vulnerability Analysis where patch status updates will be posted.

Workarounds

• Disable the WP-ClanWars plugin if the functionality is not critical to site operations
• Implement WAF rules to filter SQL injection patterns in requests to WP-ClanWars endpoints
• Restrict access to the WordPress admin panel using IP allowlisting or VPN requirements
• Use database-level access controls to limit the WordPress database user's permissions to only required tables

# Example: Restrict WordPress admin access to specific IPs in .htaccess
<Files wp-login.php>
    Order Deny,Allow
    Deny from all
    Allow from 192.168.1.0/24
    Allow from 10.0.0.0/8
</Files>

# Block suspicious orderby parameter patterns in Apache
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} orderby=.*(union|select|insert|update|delete|drop) [NC]
RewriteRule .* - [F,L]