CVE-2026-89214 in Basic Quiz Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/11/2026
The WpCues Basic Quiz WordPress plugin through 1.6.5 does not properly sanitise and escape values before using them in a SQL statement, which allows unauthenticated attackers to perform SQL injection attacks and read data from the database.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/11/2026
The vulnerability identified in the WpCues Basic Quiz WordPress plugin versions up to 1.6.5 represents a critical security flaw rooted in inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Specifically, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied values prior to their incorporation into Structured Query Language statements executed against the backend database. This architectural oversight creates a direct pathway for unauthenticated attackers to manipulate SQL queries by injecting malicious code through various entry points within the plugin interface. The absence of robust parameterization or strict type checking allows external inputs to be interpreted as executable commands rather than data, fundamentally compromising the integrity and confidentiality of the underlying information system.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration identifier CWE-89, which classifies improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command, commonly known as SQL injection. The vulnerability stems from the developer's failure to implement secure coding practices such as prepared statements or stored procedures that separate code from data. Instead, the plugin likely concatenates user input directly into query strings without applying necessary escaping functions provided by the WordPress database abstraction layer or custom sanitization routines. This allows an attacker to alter the logic of SQL queries, potentially bypassing authentication checks, extracting sensitive information such as administrator credentials and personal user data, modifying existing records, or even executing administrative operations on the database server depending on the privileges assigned to the database account used by the web application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its unauthenticated nature. Attackers do not require valid login credentials or any form of authentication to exploit this weakness, significantly lowering the barrier for entry and increasing the likelihood of automated attacks targeting vulnerable instances across the internet. Successful exploitation can lead to a complete compromise of the WordPress site's data integrity and confidentiality. Beyond direct data exfiltration, attackers may use the injected SQL commands to escalate privileges within the database or potentially achieve remote code execution if specific database configurations allow for file system access via functions like LOAD_FILE or INTO OUTFILE. This compromises not only the website itself but also any other applications sharing the same database credentials, leading to broader systemic compromise and potential regulatory violations regarding data protection standards such as GDPR or CCPA due to the exposure of personally identifiable information.
To mitigate this risk, immediate action is required by site administrators to update the WpCues Basic Quiz plugin to version 1.6.5 or later where these sanitization issues have been addressed. In cases where updating is not immediately feasible, temporary mitigations should include implementing a Web Application Firewall configured with rulesets specifically designed to detect and block SQL injection patterns in HTTP requests targeting WordPress plugins. Additionally, restricting database user permissions to the principle of least privilege can limit the damage an attacker might cause even if exploitation occurs. Developers must adhere to secure coding standards by utilizing parameterized queries for all database interactions involving external input and ensuring that output is properly escaped according to the context in which it is rendered. Regular security audits and code reviews focusing on data flow analysis are essential to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced into future versions of the software or other components within the WordPress ecosystem.