CVE-2016-20073 in Answer My Question
Summary
by MITRE • 06/15/2026
Answer My Question 1.3 plugin for WordPress contains an SQL injection vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary SQL queries by injecting malicious code through the 'id' POST parameter. Attackers can submit crafted SQL statements to the modal.php endpoint to extract sensitive database information including WordPress terms and configuration data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2026
The vulnerability in question represents a critical sql injection flaw within a wordpress plugin that fundamentally undermines the security posture of affected systems. This weakness exists in the plugin's handling of user input through the 'id' parameter in post requests, creating an attack vector that requires no authentication credentials from malicious actors. The vulnerability specifically targets the modal.php endpoint which serves as the entry point for the malicious injection attempts. Security researchers have identified that unauthenticated attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting specially designed sql statements that bypass normal input validation mechanisms. The injection occurs when the plugin fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied data before incorporating it into database queries, allowing attackers to manipulate the underlying sql execution flow.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability follows established patterns that align with common web application security flaws documented in the cwe database under cwe-89 sql injection. The flaw demonstrates a classic lack of input validation and proper parameterization in database operations, where user-provided values are directly concatenated into sql statements rather than being properly escaped or parameterized. This creates a pathway for attackers to inject malicious sql code that executes within the context of the database connection, potentially allowing complete database compromise. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data extraction to include full database manipulation capabilities, as the attacker can construct sql queries that perform data modification, deletion, or even execute system commands depending on the database configuration and permissions.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability are severe and multifaceted, affecting not only the targeted wordpress installation but potentially the entire underlying infrastructure. Attackers can extract sensitive wordpress terms including user credentials, configuration settings, and content management data that would normally be protected by proper access controls. The vulnerability enables data exfiltration at scale, potentially exposing thousands of user accounts, site configurations, and business-critical information stored in the database. Additionally, the compromised system becomes vulnerable to further attacks including privilege escalation, data corruption, and potential lateral movement within network environments where the vulnerable wordpress instance resides. This vulnerability directly maps to attack techniques described in the mitre att&ck framework under initial access and credential access tactics, specifically targeting the exploitation of web application vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized system access.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security hardening measures. The most effective immediate solution involves applying the vendor-supplied patch or upgrade to the affected plugin version, which typically includes proper input validation and parameterized query implementation. Organizations should implement web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious sql injection patterns targeting known vulnerable endpoints such as modal.php. Network segmentation and database access controls should be enforced to limit the damage potential even if exploitation occurs, ensuring that database connections use minimal required privileges. Regular security auditing and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities across the entire wordpress ecosystem, while implementing proper input sanitization frameworks that prevent sql injection across all application components. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of maintaining updated security monitoring systems that can detect anomalous database access patterns indicative of sql injection attacks.