CVE-2026-78270 in FluentCRM Pro Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/24/2026
Author SQL Injection in FluentCRM Pro <= 3.1.12 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/24/2026
The vulnerability identified as an Author SQL Injection within FluentCRM Pro versions up to and including 3.1.12 represents a critical security flaw rooted in insufficient input validation and the improper use of prepared statements when interacting with the WordPress database. This specific type of injection occurs because the application accepts user-supplied data, specifically related to author identification or profile management, without adequately sanitizing it before incorporating it into SQL queries. In many web applications built on PHP and MySQL, this often manifests as a failure to properly bind parameters in prepared statements or the direct concatenation of unsanitized variables into query strings. An attacker can exploit this by crafting malicious input that alters the logic of the underlying database command, allowing them to read, modify, or delete data from the backend database server.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-89, which describes Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command, commonly known as SQL Injection. The vulnerability likely exists within endpoints that handle author-related operations, such as retrieving user details, updating profiles, or querying content associated with specific authors. Because the input is not properly escaped or parameterized, special characters like single quotes can break out of their intended context, enabling the injection of arbitrary SQL code. This allows an attacker to bypass authentication mechanisms, extract sensitive information from other tables within the database, or potentially execute administrative commands depending on the privileges granted to the database user account running the web application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, particularly in environments where multiple users have access to author-level capabilities. An authenticated attacker with low-privilege accounts can leverage this flaw to escalate their influence over the system's data integrity and confidentiality. By exploiting the SQL injection, an adversary could dump the entire database contents, including user credentials, personal identifiable information of subscribers stored within FluentCRM, and other sensitive business logic data. Furthermore, depending on the configuration of the MySQL server, such as if the sql_mode allows it or if specific functions are enabled, there is a risk that this vulnerability could be chained with others to achieve remote code execution, although direct file system access typically requires additional conditions like knowing writable paths and having appropriate database permissions.
This incident maps directly to several techniques within the MITRE ATT&CK framework for enterprise security. Specifically, it falls under T1190, Exploit Public-Facing Application, as the vulnerability is triggered through web application interactions. It also relates to T1059, Command and Scripting Interpreter, if the injection leads to further exploitation steps, but primarily it aligns with data exfiltration techniques such as T1005, Data from Local System, where the attacker retrieves sensitive information directly from the database backend. The lack of proper input validation also reflects a failure in secure coding practices that are essential for maintaining robust application security postures.
To mitigate this vulnerability and prevent similar issues in future updates or custom code implementations, developers must ensure that all dynamic SQL queries utilize parameterized statements or prepared statements exclusively. This approach ensures that user input is treated strictly as data rather than executable code by the database engine. Additionally, implementing strict input validation using allowlists for expected character sets can provide an additional layer of defense against injection attacks. For organizations currently running FluentCRM Pro versions 3.1.12 and below, immediate upgrading to a patched version that addresses this specific author-related SQL injection is critical. Regular security audits and the integration of static application security testing tools into the development lifecycle can help identify such flaws before they are deployed to production environments, thereby reducing the attack surface available to potential adversaries.