CVE-2026-57631: Popup Box Plugin SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2026-57631 Overview

CVE-2026-57631 is a SQL injection vulnerability affecting the Popup box WordPress plugin (ays-popup-box) in versions up to and including 6.0.1. The flaw allows authenticated users with administrator privileges to inject malicious SQL statements into database queries. The issue is categorized under [CWE-89] (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command).

Exploitation requires network access and high privileges but no user interaction. The vulnerability crosses a security scope boundary, impacting confidentiality of backend data and causing limited availability disruption.

Critical Impact
Authenticated administrators can execute arbitrary SQL queries against the WordPress database, exposing stored credentials, session tokens, and sensitive site content.

Affected Products

Popup box WordPress plugin (ays-popup-box) versions up to and including 6.0.1
WordPress installations with the Popup box plugin activated
Multi-site WordPress environments where the plugin is network-enabled

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-26 - CVE-2026-57631 published to NVD
2026-06-26 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-57631

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2026-57631 is a SQL injection flaw in the Popup box WordPress plugin. The plugin fails to properly neutralize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries executed against the WordPress database. An attacker authenticated as an administrator can craft parameter values that break out of the intended query context and append arbitrary SQL syntax.

Because the vulnerability crosses a scope boundary, injected queries can access data beyond the plugin's own tables. This includes the core wp_users, wp_usermeta, and wp_options tables, which store password hashes, session tokens, and site secrets. The EPSS score is 0.279% (percentile 19.683), indicating a low near-term exploitation probability in the wild.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or incomplete input sanitization and lack of parameterized queries in one or more administrator-facing plugin endpoints. Instead of using $wpdb->prepare() with placeholders, the affected code concatenates request parameters directly into SQL statements. This pattern allows metacharacters such as single quotes, UNION keywords, and comment sequences to alter query semantics.

Attack Vector

An attacker must first obtain administrator credentials on the target WordPress site, typically through credential theft, phishing, or compromise of a lower-privileged account combined with privilege escalation. Once authenticated, the attacker submits a crafted HTTP request to a vulnerable Popup box plugin endpoint, embedding SQL payloads in parameters that reach the unsanitized query builder.

The plugin then executes the composed query, returning results or triggering side effects such as row modification. Refer to the Patchstack SQL Injection Vulnerability advisory for endpoint-specific details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-57631

Indicators of Compromise

Unusual outbound HTTP requests originating from the WordPress host containing exfiltrated database content
Web server access logs showing SQL metacharacters (', --, UNION SELECT, SLEEP() in requests to ays-popup-box admin endpoints
Unexpected new administrator accounts or modified user roles in wp_users and wp_usermeta
Database error entries in debug.log referencing the ays_pb_* tables

Detection Strategies

Monitor WordPress admin-ajax and REST endpoints associated with the ays-popup-box plugin for anomalous parameter payloads
Enable MySQL general query logging temporarily and search for queries containing concatenated administrator input against plugin tables
Deploy a web application firewall rule set that flags SQL injection signatures targeting /wp-admin/admin.php?page=ays-pb-* paths

Monitoring Recommendations

Alert on administrator session activity performing bulk SELECT operations against wp_users or wp_options
Track plugin version inventory across managed WordPress fleets and flag any host running Popup box <= 6.0.1
Correlate administrator logins from new IP addresses or user agents with subsequent plugin configuration changes

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-57631

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Popup box plugin to a version later than 6.0.1 as soon as the vendor publishes a fixed release
Audit all WordPress administrator accounts, rotate passwords, and enforce multi-factor authentication
Review recent administrator activity logs for signs of parameter tampering against Popup box endpoints
Rotate WordPress salts in wp-config.php and invalidate active sessions if compromise is suspected

Patch Information

Refer to the Patchstack SQL Injection Vulnerability advisory for the current patched version and remediation guidance. Apply the vendor-supplied update through the WordPress plugin manager or WP-CLI as soon as it becomes available.

Workarounds

Deactivate and remove the Popup box plugin until a patched version is installed
Restrict access to /wp-admin/ using IP allow-listing at the web server or reverse proxy layer
Apply a web application firewall rule that blocks SQL injection patterns on requests to ays-popup-box administrative endpoints
Reduce the number of accounts with the administrator role to the minimum necessary

bash

# Configuration example: disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate ays-popup-box
wp plugin delete ays-popup-box

# Verify no residual plugin files remain
ls -la wp-content/plugins/ | grep ays-popup-box