CVE-2022-4059 in Cryptocurrency Widgets Pack Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/03/2023
The Cryptocurrency Widgets Pack WordPress plugin through 1.8.1 does not sanitise and escape some parameter before using it in a SQL statement via an AJAX action available to unauthenticated users, leading to a SQL injection.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/11/2025
The Cryptocurrency Widgets Pack WordPress plugin version 1.8.1 and earlier contains a critical SQL injection vulnerability that stems from inadequate input sanitization and escaping mechanisms. This flaw exists within the plugin's AJAX handling functionality, which is designed to process user requests without requiring authentication. The vulnerability specifically affects parameters that are directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper validation or escaping, creating an attack surface that can be exploited by malicious actors without any credentials or privileges. The affected plugin's architecture exposes sensitive data processing capabilities through unauthenticated endpoints, making it particularly dangerous as it allows any internet user to attempt exploitation. This vulnerability represents a fundamental failure in the plugin's security design, where input validation occurs at an inappropriate layer of the application stack.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the plugin processes AJAX requests that contain user-supplied parameters in SQL queries. Attackers can craft malicious input that bypasses standard sanitization routines, allowing arbitrary SQL commands to be executed within the context of the database connection. The lack of parameterized queries or proper escaping mechanisms means that special SQL characters and sequences can be interpreted by the database engine rather than treated as literal data values. This creates a condition where attackers can manipulate the SQL execution flow to extract, modify, or delete database contents. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates through the AJAX interface, which is typically designed for legitimate user interactions and often has less restrictive security controls than traditional administrative interfaces. The flaw directly maps to CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection vulnerabilities where insufficient sanitization of user-controllable data leads to unauthorized database access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or modification, as it provides attackers with potential access to sensitive information stored within the WordPress database. The cryptocurrency widgets plugin likely handles financial data, user information, or other sensitive content that could be compromised through this attack vector. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to extract user credentials, modify cryptocurrency values displayed on the website, or even escalate privileges within the WordPress environment. The unauthenticated nature of the exploit means that attackers can target vulnerable sites without requiring any prior access or authentication, making it a particularly attractive target for automated scanning and exploitation campaigns. This vulnerability could also serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks, potentially allowing threat actors to establish persistent access or deploy additional malware within the compromised environment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate exposure and the underlying architectural issues that allowed the flaw to exist. The most effective immediate solution involves updating to a patched version of the Cryptocurrency Widgets Pack plugin where the developers have implemented proper input sanitization and parameterized queries. Organizations should also implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious SQL injection patterns targeting known vulnerable endpoints. Additional defensive measures include restricting access to AJAX endpoints through authentication controls or implementing rate limiting to prevent automated exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation at multiple layers of application architecture, emphasizing the need for developers to follow secure coding practices and adhere to the principle of least privilege. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual database access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while regular security audits should verify that all plugin and theme components properly handle user-supplied data. This vulnerability also reinforces the ATT&CK framework's relevance in identifying such attack patterns, particularly under the T1071.004 technique for application layer protocol usage and T1213.002 for data from information repositories, demonstrating how seemingly minor implementation flaws can create significant security risks in web applications.