CVE-2026-57663 Overview
CVE-2026-57663 is a SQL injection vulnerability affecting the Recipe Maker For Your Food Blog from Zip Recipes WordPress plugin. All versions up to and including 8.2.7 are impacted. The flaw allows authenticated users with Contributor-level privileges to inject arbitrary SQL statements into backend database queries. The vulnerability is classified under [CWE-89] (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command).
Critical Impact
Authenticated Contributor accounts can read sensitive database contents and impact database availability across affected WordPress sites running the Zip Recipes plugin.
Affected Products
- Recipe Maker For Your Food Blog from Zip Recipes plugin for WordPress
- Plugin versions <= 8.2.7
- WordPress installations with the plugin activated and Contributor accounts enabled
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-06-26 - CVE-2026-57663 published to NVD
- 2026-06-26 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-57663
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability stems from improper sanitization of user-supplied input within the Zip Recipes plugin. Contributor-level users can pass crafted parameters that reach SQL queries without adequate escaping or parameterization. Because Contributor accounts are commonly created for guest authors and low-trust editorial users, the required privilege level is easily attainable in multi-user blogs.
Successful exploitation grants read access to database contents, including WordPress user records, session tokens, and plugin-specific data. The scope-changed classification indicates the impact extends beyond the vulnerable component into the wider WordPress database context. The confidentiality impact is high, while integrity is unaffected and availability sees limited impact.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing or insufficient input validation on parameters used to build SQL queries within the plugin. The plugin concatenates request data into query strings rather than using prepared statements or the WordPress $wpdb->prepare() API with proper placeholders. This coding pattern allows attackers to break out of the intended query context and append arbitrary SQL clauses.
Attack Vector
An attacker first authenticates to the target WordPress site using a Contributor account. The attacker then submits a crafted request to a plugin endpoint that processes recipe data. Malicious SQL fragments embedded in request parameters are executed against the WordPress database. The attack requires no user interaction beyond the attacker's authenticated session.
Refer to the Patchstack SQL Injection Vulnerability Advisory for technical details on the affected code paths.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-57663
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected SQL syntax tokens such as UNION SELECT, SLEEP(, or INFORMATION_SCHEMA in POST or GET parameters directed at Zip Recipes plugin endpoints.
- Anomalous database query durations or error log entries referencing malformed queries originating from the wp_zrdn_recipes tables.
- Contributor accounts issuing requests to admin-ajax or REST endpoints they do not typically use.
Detection Strategies
- Inspect WordPress access logs for Contributor account activity targeting plugin AJAX actions or REST routes tied to Zip Recipes.
- Enable MySQL general query logging temporarily to identify suspicious SQL patterns emerging from plugin code paths.
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule set that flags common SQL injection payloads on WordPress plugin endpoints.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Track newly created or dormant Contributor accounts that begin issuing frequent POST requests to plugin endpoints.
- Alert on repeated HTTP 500 responses from plugin routes, which often accompany SQL syntax errors during injection probing.
- Monitor outbound database performance metrics for unexplained query spikes correlated with plugin activity.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-57663
Immediate Actions Required
- Update the Recipe Maker For Your Food Blog from Zip Recipes plugin to a version later than 8.2.7 once the vendor publishes a fixed release.
- Audit all Contributor accounts and remove those that are inactive or unnecessary.
- Enforce strong password requirements and multi-factor authentication for all WordPress users, including Contributors.
Patch Information
Consult the Patchstack SQL Injection Vulnerability Advisory for the current patch status. Apply the vendor-supplied update through the WordPress plugin manager as soon as it is available. Verify the plugin version reported in the WordPress admin dashboard after updating.
Workarounds
- Temporarily deactivate the Zip Recipes plugin until a patched version is installed if Contributor accounts cannot be locked down.
- Restrict access to plugin AJAX and REST endpoints via a WAF policy that blocks SQL injection payloads.
- Downgrade untrusted Contributor accounts to Subscriber role until the vulnerability is remediated.
# Configuration example: identify installed Zip Recipes plugin version via WP-CLI
wp plugin get zip-recipes --field=version
# Deactivate the vulnerable plugin as an interim control
wp plugin deactivate zip-recipes
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
