CVE-2026-2413: WordPress Ally Plugin SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2026-2413 Overview

The Ally – Web Accessibility & Usability plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to SQL Injection via the URL path in all versions up to, and including, 4.0.3. This vulnerability exists due to insufficient escaping on the user-supplied URL parameter in the get_global_remediations() method, where user input is directly concatenated into an SQL JOIN clause without proper sanitization for SQL context. While esc_url_raw() is applied for URL safety, it does not prevent SQL metacharacters (single quotes, parentheses) from being injected, enabling unauthenticated attackers to perform time-based blind SQL injection attacks.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can extract sensitive information from the WordPress database, potentially compromising user credentials, personal data, and site configuration through time-based blind SQL injection techniques.

Affected Products

• The Ally – Web Accessibility & Usability plugin for WordPress versions ≤ 4.0.3
• WordPress sites with the Remediation module active
• Sites with the plugin connected to an Elementor account

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-11 - CVE CVE-2026-2413 published to NVD
• 2026-03-11 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-2413

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) affects the get_global_remediations() method within the plugin's remediation module. The core issue stems from improper input handling where the URL parameter undergoes URL sanitization via esc_url_raw() but lacks SQL-specific escaping. This function is designed to ensure URL validity but does not sanitize against SQL injection payloads, leaving SQL metacharacters like single quotes and parentheses intact in the query.

The vulnerability is exploitable only when the Remediation module is active, which requires the plugin to be connected to an Elementor account. When these conditions are met, attackers can manipulate URL parameters to inject malicious SQL fragments into JOIN clauses, enabling time-based blind SQL injection to systematically exfiltrate database contents.

Root Cause

The root cause is the misuse of esc_url_raw() as a SQL sanitization function. This WordPress function is intended for URL encoding and validation, not for escaping SQL special characters. The vulnerability occurs in the remediation-entry.php file where the URL parameter is directly concatenated into an SQL JOIN clause. Proper remediation requires using WordPress's prepared statements ($wpdb->prepare()) or appropriate SQL escaping functions to neutralize SQL metacharacters before query execution.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-accessible and requires no authentication or user interaction. Attackers craft malicious requests containing SQL injection payloads within URL parameters. Since the injection point is within a JOIN clause, traditional UNION-based extraction may not be directly applicable, making time-based blind techniques the primary exploitation method.

The attack process involves:

1. Sending crafted requests with SQL payloads embedded in the URL parameter
2. Using time-based functions (such as SLEEP() in MySQL) to infer query results based on response timing
3. Systematically extracting database contents character by character through boolean-based timing inference

Technical details of the vulnerable code can be found in the WordPress Plugin Code Reference for utils.php and the remediation-entry.php file.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-2413

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual patterns in web server access logs showing requests with SQL injection payloads in URL paths
• Abnormally slow database queries or increased database server load indicating time-based injection attempts
• Requests containing SQL keywords such as SLEEP, BENCHMARK, WAITFOR, or single quotes in URL parameters
• Multiple sequential requests from the same source with incrementally modified payloads

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in URL paths
• Monitor WordPress database query logs for anomalous queries containing injected SQL fragments
• Deploy intrusion detection systems configured with signatures for blind SQL injection timing attacks
• Review web server logs for requests targeting the remediation module endpoints with suspicious parameters

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed access logging on the WordPress installation to capture full request URLs
• Configure database query logging with slow query thresholds to identify time-based injection attempts
• Set up alerting for unusual patterns of requests to the affected plugin's endpoints
• Monitor database server resource utilization for unexpected CPU or timing anomalies

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-2413

Immediate Actions Required

• Update The Ally – Web Accessibility & Usability plugin to the latest patched version immediately
• If immediate patching is not possible, deactivate the Remediation module or the entire plugin temporarily
• Review database logs for evidence of exploitation attempts or successful data exfiltration
• Consider implementing WAF rules to block SQL injection attempts targeting this vulnerability

Patch Information

A security patch has been released to address this vulnerability. The fix can be reviewed in the WordPress Plugin Changeset. Users should update to the latest version of the plugin through the WordPress admin dashboard or by downloading directly from the WordPress plugin repository.

Additional vulnerability details are available in the Wordfence Vulnerability Report.

Workarounds

• Deactivate the Remediation module if the full plugin functionality is not required
• Disable or uninstall the plugin entirely until the update can be applied
• Implement WAF rules to filter SQL injection patterns in incoming requests to the WordPress site
• Restrict access to the WordPress admin and plugin endpoints through IP allowlisting where feasible

# Disable the plugin via WP-CLI if direct admin access is unavailable
wp plugin deactivate pojo-accessibility --path=/var/www/html/wordpress

# After patching, verify the plugin version
wp plugin list --path=/var/www/html/wordpress | grep pojo-accessibility