CVE-2025-48299

Executive Summary

CVE-2025-48299 is a critical SQL Injection vulnerability discovered in the YayExtra plugin for WordPress, developed by YayCommerce. The vulnerability resides in the improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command, allowing unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary SQL queries. This flaw affects all versions of YayExtra up to and including 1.5.5. Given the widespread use of WordPress and the plugin's functionality for managing extra product options, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to e-commerce sites. The CVSS score of 7.6 (High) reflects the ease of exploitation (network-based, low complexity, no privileges required) and the potential for high impact on confidentiality and integrity. No public proof-of-concept (PoC) or exploit code has been identified at this time, but the risk remains elevated due to the nature of SQL injection.

Supply Chain & Package Security

This vulnerability is specific to the WordPress plugin ecosystem. YayExtra is distributed via the WordPress Plugin Directory and directly from YayCommerce. Users are advised to verify the integrity of their plugin files and ensure they are sourced from official channels. The lack of a patch from the vendor increases the risk of supply chain attacks if malicious actors distribute modified versions of the plugin.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

• CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
• Base Score: 7.6 (High)
• Attack Vector: Network (AV:N) – The vulnerability can be exploited remotely.
• Attack Complexity: Low (AC:L) – No special conditions are required.
• Privileges Required: None (PR:N) – No authentication needed.
• User Interaction: None (UI:N) – No user action required.
• Scope: Unchanged (S:U) – The vulnerable component and the impacted component are the same.
• Confidentiality Impact: High (C:H) – Full database read access possible.
• Integrity Impact: High (I:H) – Database records can be modified or deleted.
• Availability Impact: None (A:N) – No direct impact on availability.

Threat Level: High. The combination of network exploitability, no authentication, and high impact on confidentiality and integrity makes this a critical risk for any site using the affected plugin.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability is a classic SQL injection flaw in the YayExtra plugin. The plugin likely fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries. This can occur in various plugin features, such as custom product options, AJAX handlers, or shortcode processing. An attacker can inject malicious SQL code through HTTP parameters (GET or POST) that are passed directly to the database without proper escaping or parameterized queries.

Attack Vector: The attacker sends a crafted HTTP request to a WordPress site running the vulnerable plugin. The request contains SQL injection payloads in parameters that are processed by the plugin's backend.

Impact: Successful exploitation allows the attacker to:

• Extract sensitive data from the WordPress database (user credentials, order details, etc.).
• Modify or delete database content.
• Potentially escalate privileges or gain administrative access to the WordPress site.

Root Cause: The plugin uses string concatenation or interpolation to build SQL queries instead of using prepared statements or parameterized queries. This is a common oversight in PHP development.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Since no official patch is available, the following is a hypothetical comparison based on typical SQL injection fixes.

Vulnerable Code (PHP):

$product_id = $_GET['product_id'];
$query = "SELECT * FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id = $product_id";
$result = $wpdb->get_results($query);

Patched Code (PHP):

$product_id = intval($_GET['product_id']);
$query = $wpdb->prepare("SELECT * FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id = %d", $product_id);
$result = $wpdb->get_results($query);

The patched version uses intval() to ensure the input is an integer and $wpdb->prepare() to safely bind the parameter, preventing SQL injection.

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team (Offensive)

Lab Setup:

1. Install WordPress with YayExtra plugin version 1.5.5.
2. Ensure the plugin is active and accessible.

Exploitation Steps:

1. Identify a vulnerable endpoint (e.g., an AJAX action or shortcode).
2. Craft a SQL injection payload. Example:

   http://target.com/?product_id=1 UNION SELECT user_login,user_pass FROM wp_users--
   

3. Use tools like sqlmap for automated exploitation:

   sqlmap -u "http://target.com/?product_id=1" --batch --dbs
   

Note: No public exploit code is available; this is a generic example.

Blue Team (Defensive)

Detection:

• Monitor web server logs for unusual SQL keywords in GET/POST parameters (e.g., UNION, SELECT, --).
• Use WAF rules to block common SQL injection patterns.
• Implement input validation and parameterized queries.

Mitigation:

• Disable or remove the YayExtra plugin until a patch is available.
• Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection.
• Apply virtual patching via mod_security rules.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• Network IOCs:
  • HTTP requests containing SQL keywords in parameters (e.g., UNION, SELECT, OR 1=1).
  • Unusual database error messages in HTTP responses.
• File IOCs:
  • Modified plugin files (check file integrity).
  • Suspicious entries in WordPress wp_options or wp_usermeta tables.
• Log IOCs:
  • Repeated failed login attempts (if credentials are extracted).
  • Database query logs showing unexpected SELECT/UNION operations.

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2025_48299_YayExtra_SQLi {
    meta:
        description = "Detects SQL injection attempts targeting YayExtra plugin"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        reference = "CVE-2025-48299"
    strings:
        $sqli1 = /UNION\s+SELECT/i
        $sqli2 = /OR\s+\d+=\d+/i
        $sqli3 = /--\s*$/m
        $sqli4 = /'\s*OR\s+'1'='1/i
    condition:
        any of ($sqli*) and filesize < 10KB
}

Sigma Rule

title: SQL Injection Attempt Against YayExtra Plugin
id: 8f4b3c2a-1d5e-4f7a-9b8c-0d1e2f3a4b5c
status: experimental
description: Detects SQL injection patterns in HTTP requests targeting YayExtra
author: Valters IT
date: 2025-04-10
logsource:
    category: webserver
    product: apache
detection:
    selection:
        c-uri|contains:
            - 'UNION'
            - 'SELECT'
            - 'OR 1=1'
            - '--'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate use of SQL keywords in non-malicious contexts
level: high

Suricata Rule

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2025-48299 YayExtra SQL Injection Attempt"; flow:to_server; content:"UNION"; http_uri; nocase; content:"SELECT"; http_uri; nocase; distance:0; within:100; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

1. Immediate Action: Disable or remove the YayExtra plugin until a security patch is released by YayCommerce.
2. Virtual Patching: Implement WAF rules to block SQL injection patterns.
3. Code Review: If you have access to the plugin source, manually fix the SQL injection by using prepared statements.
4. Monitoring: Enable detailed logging and monitor for suspicious database queries.
5. Update: Watch for official updates from YayCommerce and apply them immediately.
6. Backup: Ensure regular backups of the WordPress database and files.

Valters IT
Securing Digital Frontiers