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CVE-2026-42665 – Unauthenticated SQL Injection – WP Data Access WordPress Plugin (<= 5.5.70)

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Summary

CVE-2026-42665 is a critical unauthenticated SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) affecting the WP Data Access WordPress plugin in all versions up to and including 5.5.70. With a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.3 (Critical), the flaw allows any unauthenticated remote attacker to inject arbitrary SQL commands and extract sensitive data from the underlying WordPress database without supplying any credentials. A patched version (5.5.71) was released on April 16, 2026.

Technical details

  • Root cause: Improper neutralization of user-supplied input in SQL query construction (CWE-89), stemming from insufficient input sanitization and improper query preparation within the plugin’s data-handling functionality.
  • Trigger conditions: No authentication, no privileges, and no user interaction are required — the attack is fully remote and can be executed by any unauthenticated party over the internet.
  • Attack vector: Crafted HTTP requests sent directly to the affected WordPress installation; the plugin processes unsanitized input and passes it into SQL queries executed against the WordPress database.
  • Impact: High confidentiality impact — attackers can extract the full contents of the WordPress database, including credentials, personally identifiable information (PII), application data, and secret keys. The Changed scope indicator (S:C) means the impact extends beyond the plugin itself to the broader WordPress environment. A low availability impact (A:L) also exists, consistent with the resource overhead of injected query execution.

Affected software

  • WP Data Access WordPress Plugin — all versions up to and including 5.5.70
  • Developed by Passionate Programmer Peter; listed on WordPress.org with 10,000+ active installations.

Severity

  • CVSS v3.1 Base Score: 9.3 — CRITICAL
  • Vector String: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:L

Mitigation and recommended actions

  • Immediate: Update the WP Data Access plugin to version 5.5.71 or later (current release as of this post: 5.5.73). The patch was made available on April 16, 2026 via the WordPress.org plugin repository.
  • If immediate patching is not possible, consider temporarily deactivating the plugin and restricting access to the WordPress installation at the network or web application firewall level until the update can be applied.

IONIX Status

The IONIX research team is tracking ongoing exploitation attempts and recommends immediate patching. Potentially affected assets are outlined in this post.

References

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