SQL injection in WordPress - CVE-2022-21661
Published: January 7, 2022 / Updated: May 31, 2024
Vulnerability identifier: #VU59290
CSH Severity: High
CVSS v4: 9.3 [CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N]
CVE-ID: CVE-2022-21661
CWE-ID: CWE-89
Exploitation vector: Remote access
Exploit availability:
Public exploit is available
Vulnerability details
The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary SQL queries in database.
The vulnerability exists due to insufficient sanitization of user-supplied data in WP_Query. A remote attacker can send a specially crafted request to the affected application and execute arbitrary SQL commands within the application database.
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may allow a remote attacker to read, delete, modify data in database and gain complete control over the affected application.
Affected software
WordPress
wordpress (Debian package)
wordpress
Fedora
wordpress (Debian package)
wordpress
Fedora
How to mitigate CVE-2022-21661
Install updates from vendor's website.
WordPress - addressed in versions 3.7.37, 3.8.37, 3.9.35, 4.0.34, 4.1.34, 4.2.31, 4.3.27, 4.4.26, 4.5.25, 4.6.22, 4.7.22, 4.8.18, 4.9.19, 5.0.15, 5.1.12, 5.2.14, 5.3.11, 5.4.9, 5.5.8, 5.6.7, 5.7.5, 5.8.3
wordpress (Debian package) - addressed in versions 5.0.15+dfsg1-0+deb10u1, 5.7.5+dfsg1-0+deb11u1
wordpress - addressed in versions 5.1.12-1.el7, 5.8.3-1.fc34, 5.8.3-1.fc35
wordpress (Debian package) - addressed in versions 5.0.15+dfsg1-0+deb10u1, 5.7.5+dfsg1-0+deb11u1
wordpress - addressed in versions 5.1.12-1.el7, 5.8.3-1.fc34, 5.8.3-1.fc35
Links to Public Exploits and PoC-codes
- Exploit #9891 - CVE-2022-21661 (CVE-2022-21661 exp for Elementor custom skin.) (May 31, 2024)
- Exploit #9234 - CVE-2022-21661-PoC (A Python PoC of CVE-2022-21661, inspired from z92g's Go PoC) (August 7, 2023)
- Exploit #8935 - SSI-CVE-2022-21661 (Study and exploit the vulnerability CVE-2022-21661 that allows SQL Injections through plugins POST requests to WordPress versions below 5.8.3.) (March 25, 2023)
- Exploit #8575 - CVE-2022-21661 (The first poc video presenting the sql injection test from ( WordPress Core 5.8.2-'WP_Query' / CVE-2022-21661) ) (November 7, 2022)
- Exploit #8200 - CVE-2022-21661 (CVE-2022-21661 exp for Elementor custom skin.) (August 1, 2022)
- Exploit #8190 - CVE-2022-21661 (WordPress WP_Query SQL Injection POC) (July 28, 2022)
- Exploit #7912 - Wordpress-cve-CVE-2022-21661 (Wordpress 5.8.2 CVE-2022-21661 Vuln enviroment POC exploit) (May 29, 2022)
- Exploit #7822 - WordPress Core 5.8.2 - 'WP_Query' SQL Injection (May 13, 2022)
- Exploit #7347 - wordpress-CVE-2022-21661 () (February 13, 2022)
- Exploit #7247 - CVE-2022-21661-WordPress-Core-5.8.2-WP_Query-SQL-Injection (WordPress Core 5.8.2 - 'WP_Query' SQL Injection) (January 19, 2022)