CVE-2026-76556 in WP Import Export Lite Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 09/16/2026
The WP Import Export Lite WordPress plugin before 3.9.33 does not properly sanitise and escape some export filter values before using them in SQL statements, allowing users holding its export permission, which administrators have by default and may also grant to lower roles, to perform SQL injection attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/16/2026
The vulnerability identified in the WP Import Export Lite WordPress plugin prior to version 3.9.33 represents a critical security flaw rooted in insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Specifically, the defect lies within the export functionality where filter values submitted by users are not properly sanitized or escaped before being incorporated into database queries. This architectural oversight allows malicious actors who possess the capability to trigger exports via the plugin interface to inject arbitrary SQL commands directly into the backend database operations. The severity of this issue is compounded by the fact that the permission required to exploit it, typically associated with exporting data, is granted by default to administrators and can be easily assigned to lower-privilege user roles such as editors or authors within a WordPress environment.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability classifies under CWE-89 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command commonly known as SQL Injection. The root cause is the failure to apply parameterized queries or proper escaping functions like wpdb prepare when handling user-supplied filter parameters. When these unsanitized values are concatenated directly into SQL statements, they alter the intended logic of the query. An attacker can manipulate the input string to close existing clauses and append new commands, potentially reading sensitive data from other tables, modifying database contents, or in severe configurations with appropriate privileges, executing operating system commands through the database interface. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter as well as T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application, highlighting how public-facing web applications can be leveraged for deeper infrastructure compromise if left unpatched.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant due to the widespread use of WordPress in enterprise and small business environments where data integrity and confidentiality are paramount. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive customer information stored within the database, including personal identifiable information, financial records, or proprietary content. Furthermore, because the export feature is often used for backup purposes, an attacker might also exfiltrate large volumes of structured data efficiently by crafting specific SQL queries that dump table contents through the error messages or result sets returned by the application. This not only violates privacy regulations such as GDPR but can also cause substantial reputational damage and financial loss to organizations relying on this plugin for their content management workflows.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate remediation alongside defensive coding practices. The primary solution is to upgrade the WP Import Export Lite plugin to version 3.9.33 or later, where these sanitization and escaping mechanisms have been corrected by the developers. For environments where upgrading is not immediately feasible, temporary mitigations include restricting export capabilities exclusively to high-privilege administrator accounts rather than distributing them across lower roles, thereby reducing the attack surface. Additionally, implementing a Web Application Firewall can provide an additional layer of defense by detecting and blocking common SQL injection patterns in HTTP requests targeting the plugin endpoints. Regular security audits and code reviews focusing on database interaction layers are essential to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced during future development cycles or when integrating other third-party plugins that interact with the WordPress database schema.