CVE-2026-42417 in ARMember Premium Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/06/2026
Unauthenticated SQL Injection in ARMember Premium <= 7.8 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/06/2026
The vulnerability identified as an unauthenticated SQL injection within the ARMember Premium plugin for WordPress, affecting versions up to and including 7.8, represents a critical security flaw that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary Structured Query Language commands against the underlying database without requiring valid credentials or prior authentication. This type of vulnerability is particularly severe because it bypasses the standard access control mechanisms inherent in web applications, granting potential adversaries direct interaction with the data layer where sensitive user information, configuration settings, and administrative records are stored. The root cause typically lies in the improper sanitization or validation of input parameters received from HTTP requests before they are concatenated into SQL queries used by the application to retrieve or manipulate database entries.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-89, which categorizes Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command. In the context of ARMember Premium, specific endpoints likely accept user-supplied data through GET or POST parameters that are directly embedded into database queries without adequate escaping using prepared statements or parameterized queries. An attacker can exploit this by injecting malicious SQL syntax designed to alter query logic, such as appending UNION SELECT statements to extract additional columns from other tables within the same database schema. This capability enables the extraction of sensitive data including usernames, hashed passwords, API keys, and session tokens that are critical for maintaining system integrity and user privacy.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial, extending beyond simple data exfiltration to include potential full server compromise depending on the configuration of the underlying Database Management System. If the database service runs with elevated privileges or has specific extensions enabled, an attacker might leverage SQL injection techniques such as out-of-band interactions or blind boolean-based inference to write files to the web root directory, effectively achieving remote code execution. This would allow the insertion of backdoors, malware, or phishing pages that can be used for further attacks against site visitors. Furthermore, the ability to modify database records could lead to privilege escalation within the application itself, allowing an unauthenticated user to assume administrative roles and gain complete control over the WordPress installation.
This vulnerability is closely associated with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1059, Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically when used in conjunction with data exfiltration techniques like T1005 or T1213 depending on whether the attacker extracts data directly via error-based injection or uses more sophisticated blind methods. The lack of authentication requirement places this exploit within the initial access phase of an attack lifecycle if it leads to credential theft, but primarily falls under persistence and privilege escalation vectors once database control is established. Security researchers emphasize that such flaws are often introduced during rapid development cycles where input validation practices are overlooked or incorrectly implemented due to a misunderstanding of how SQL parsers interpret special characters like single quotes, semicolons, and comment markers.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate remediation through software updates provided by the vendor, ensuring that all installations running version 7.8 or lower are upgraded to the latest patched release where input validation has been rigorously enforced. For organizations unable to update immediately due to compatibility constraints with other plugins or custom code modifications, temporary mitigation involves implementing a Web Application Firewall rule set designed to detect and block common SQL injection patterns in HTTP request parameters. Additionally, database users should be configured following the principle of least privilege, ensuring that the application account does not possess administrative rights such as FILE privileges or access to mysql system tables, thereby limiting the potential damage even if an injection is successful. Regular security audits and static code analysis tools focused on detecting unsafe SQL query construction patterns are also recommended to prevent recurrence in future development cycles.