CVE-2026-81800 in Verified Reviews Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 09/10/2026
Unauthenticated SQL Injection in Verified Reviews (Avis Vérifiés) <= 2.4.6 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/10/2026
The vulnerability identified as an unauthenticated SQL injection within the Verified Reviews plugin, specifically affecting versions up to and including 2.4.6, represents a critical security flaw that compromises the integrity of the underlying database infrastructure. This issue stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms applied to user-supplied data before it is incorporated into SQL queries executed by the application backend. In typical WordPress environments utilizing this plugin, customer reviews are stored in custom database tables or standard post meta fields, often interacting with complex query structures that join multiple tables for performance optimization. When an attacker submits maliciously crafted input through public-facing endpoints associated with review submissions, ratings, or filtering mechanisms, the application fails to properly escape special characters such as single quotes or semicolons. This oversight allows the injected SQL code to be interpreted by the database management system rather than being treated as literal data, thereby altering the intended logic of the query.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-89, which classifies Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command. The absence of parameterized queries or prepared statements leaves the application vulnerable to classic injection techniques including UNION-based attacks and error-based extraction methods. Because the vulnerability is unauthenticated, it does not require any prior login credentials or privilege escalation steps for exploitation. This significantly lowers the barrier to entry for attackers, allowing anyone with basic knowledge of SQL syntax and access to a web browser to initiate an attack. The attacker can manipulate input parameters such as review titles, content fields, or even HTTP headers if they are processed by the vulnerable code path, leading to unauthorized data retrieval from the database.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to the sensitive nature of e-commerce and customer relationship management systems that rely on verified reviews. Successful exploitation can lead to full read access to the WordPress database, exposing not only review content but also user credentials, session tokens, site configuration details, and potentially other plugins' data stored in shared tables. In many configurations, this level of access facilitates a complete website compromise. Attackers may extract administrative usernames and hashed passwords, which can be cracked offline to gain full control over the WordPress dashboard. Furthermore, if the database server is configured with weak permissions or has network accessibility enabled, the attacker might escalate privileges on the operating system through features like xp_cmdshell in Microsoft SQL Server or LOAD_FILE in MySQL, leading to remote code execution and total infrastructure takeover.
This vulnerability maps directly to several tactics within the MITRE ATT&CK framework for both web applications and database systems. It falls under the Initial Access tactic via Valid Accounts if credential harvesting occurs immediately after, but more accurately aligns with Discovery techniques such as Database Client Discovery or Query Parameter Manipulation during the reconnaissance phase. The actual exploitation corresponds to Command Injection or SQL Injection sub-techniques depending on the specific payload used. In terms of impact categories from ATT&CK, this flaw enables Data Exfiltration and potentially Impact through Defacement if the attacker modifies review data publicly. For organizations relying on these reviews for social proof and trust signals, such tampering can also damage reputation and erode customer confidence in addition to technical compromise.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate remediation given the unauthenticated nature of the flaw. The primary solution is to upgrade the Verified Reviews plugin to version 2.4.7 or later where this vulnerability has been patched by implementing proper input sanitization using WordPress functions like esc_sql() and preparing database queries with $wpdb->prepare(). Until an update can be applied, administrators should consider disabling the review submission functionality temporarily via configuration settings if available, or employing a Web Application Firewall to filter out common SQL injection patterns in HTTP requests targeting the plugin's endpoints. Additionally, implementing strict Content Security Policy headers and ensuring that the web server runs with minimal database privileges can limit the blast radius of any successful exploitation attempt. Regular security audits and penetration testing focused on input validation across all user-facing forms are essential preventive measures to avoid similar vulnerabilities in future development cycles.