CVE-2023-2655 in Contact Form Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/16/2024
The Contact Form by WD WordPress plugin through 1.13.23 does not properly sanitise and escape a parameter before using it in a SQL statement, leading to a SQL injection exploitable by high privilege users such as admin
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-2655 affects the Contact Form by WD WordPress plugin version 1.13.23 and earlier, representing a critical SQL injection flaw that undermines database security integrity. This vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization and escaping of user-supplied parameters within the plugin's database query construction process, creating an exploitable condition that allows malicious actors with administrative privileges to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database system. The flaw specifically manifests when the plugin processes form data parameters that are directly incorporated into SQL statements without proper input validation or escaping mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability places the plugin at risk of unauthorized data manipulation, extraction, or destruction through carefully crafted SQL injection payloads. Attackers with administrative access can leverage this weakness to bypass authentication mechanisms, extract sensitive information from database tables, modify or delete critical data, and potentially escalate their privileges within the WordPress environment. The vulnerability's exploitation requires high privilege access, typically administrative user accounts, which aligns with the principle of least privilege as outlined in cybersecurity frameworks. This characteristic reduces the attack surface but does not eliminate the severity of potential impact once compromised.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to WordPress installations relying on the Contact Form by WD plugin, particularly those with multiple administrative users or those handling sensitive contact form data. The SQL injection flaw could enable attackers to access confidential customer information, user credentials, or other sensitive data stored within the WordPress database. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to include potential system compromise and service disruption, especially if the database contains critical business information or authentication credentials. Organizations maintaining WordPress environments must consider the broader implications of such vulnerabilities, as they often serve as entry points for more extensive attacks within the network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-2655 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the SQL injection vulnerability, following the principle of least privilege by restricting administrative access to only necessary personnel. Security configurations should include implementing proper input validation, parameterized queries, and regular security audits of WordPress plugins and themes. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws, and represents a common vector for attacks categorized under the ATT&CK framework's credential access and execution techniques. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and database activity monitoring to detect and prevent exploitation attempts, ensuring comprehensive protection against similar vulnerabilities in other components of their WordPress infrastructure.