CVE-2026-115262 in Duplicator Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/04/2026
The Duplicator WordPress plugin before 5.1.0, duplicator-pro WordPress plugin before 5.1.0 does not restrict its database charset and collation rewrite to schema statements during a restore, so a value a Subscriber stores in their own profile can break out of its string literal and inject SQL into the restore's INSERT statement when an administrator restores the backup onto a server lacking one of the source's charsets or collations.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/04/2026
The vulnerability identified in Duplicator versions prior to 5.1.0 represents a critical injection flaw rooted in improper input validation and context-aware encoding during database restoration operations. This issue specifically affects both the free version of the plugin and its premium counterpart, duplicator-pro, when they are used to restore backups onto servers that do not support one or more character sets or collations present in the original source environment. The core technical flaw lies in how the plugin handles charset and collation rewrites during the restoration process. Instead of restricting these transformations exclusively to schema definition statements such as CREATE TABLE or ALTER DATABASE, the application logic applies them broadly across all SQL operations, including data insertion queries like INSERT INTO. This architectural oversight creates a dangerous attack vector where user-supplied data can be manipulated to alter the structure and intent of executed database commands.
The operational mechanism of this exploit relies on the interaction between character set conversion and string literal boundaries within MySQL or MariaDB environments. When an administrator initiates a restore, the plugin attempts to translate column definitions from one charset to another if there is a mismatch with the target server's configuration. However, because the rewrite logic is not confined strictly to schema statements, it inadvertently processes data values stored in database rows as well. If a user account on the source site has profile information containing specific characters that are interpreted differently or can break out of string literals under certain charset conditions, this malformed data becomes part of the INSERT statement payload. By carefully crafting input within their own profile fields, an attacker with Subscriber-level privileges can inject arbitrary SQL code into the restoration query stream. This bypasses standard authentication and authorization checks because the injection occurs during a privileged administrative action triggered by another user, effectively leveraging low-privilege credentials to achieve high-impact execution.
The impact of this vulnerability is severe, as it allows for remote code execution or full database compromise through SQL injection without requiring direct access to the plugin's configuration interface beyond standard subscriber capabilities. An attacker can manipulate the restoration process to extract sensitive data from other tables, modify administrative accounts, drop critical database objects, or potentially execute system commands if the underlying database engine permits such operations via specific functions like LOAD_FILE or INTO OUTFILE. This scenario exemplifies a classic case of SQL injection where context switching during data processing leads to insufficient isolation between metadata and user content. The vulnerability is particularly insidious because it requires no special plugins or complex exploitation tools; it leverages native WordPress functionality and the inherent behavior of database character set conversions, making detection by standard web application firewalls difficult as the malicious payload appears within legitimate-looking administrative actions.
From a classification perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-89 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command, specifically highlighting failures in context-aware encoding and insufficient validation during data transformation processes. It also maps to MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to Injection attacks, particularly those involving database manipulation and privilege escalation through application logic flaws. The vulnerability underscores the importance of strict scoping for security-critical operations such as charset conversion, ensuring that transformations are applied only where structurally safe, typically limited to schema definitions rather than data payloads.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate version upgrades to Duplicator 5.1.0 or later, which addresses this issue by correctly restricting charset and collation rewrites to schema statements exclusively. Administrators should also audit their WordPress user base for any suspicious profile entries that might contain encoded SQL fragments, although the primary defense is patching the software defect. In environments where immediate upgrading is not feasible, implementing strict input validation on all user-generated content stored in database profiles can provide a layer of defense against injection attempts. Additionally, ensuring that backup restoration targets match the source environment's character set and collation settings as closely as possible reduces the likelihood of triggering the flawed conversion logic. Regular security audits focusing on how third-party plugins handle data serialization and deserialization during migration tasks are essential to prevent similar vulnerabilities in other WordPress extensions.