The ARMember – Membership Plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to time-based blind SQL Injection via the 'orderby' parameter. This vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 4.0.60. The issue arises from insufficient escaping of user-supplied parameters and inadequate preparation of existing SQL queries. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability without authentication, allowing them to append additional SQL queries that may extract sensitive information from the database. The CVSS score for this vulnerability is 7.5, categorizing it as high severity, indicating that it poses a significant risk to organizations.
Risk to organizations includes potential exposure of sensitive data, which could lead to unauthorized access to user information and other critical data stored within the database. The vulnerability is exploitable over the network, and the complexity of the attack is low, meaning that attackers might not need extensive technical skills to successfully execute an attack. Organizations using the affected plugin should prioritize patching immediately to safeguard against potential exploitation.
Currently, there is no known public exploit or proof of concept available for this vulnerability, but the potential for exploitation exists given its nature. The urgency for defenders is high, and they should take immediate steps to remediate this vulnerability to mitigate possible risks.
The vulnerability was published on May 2, 2026, and organizations are encouraged to stay informed of any updates regarding patch releases or additional guidance from the vendor.
Vulnerability Details
This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to execute time-based blind SQL Injection via the 'orderby' parameter in the ARMember plugin. The primary weakness associated with this vulnerability is classified as CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection')).
The CVSS 3.1 score for this vulnerability is 7.5, indicating a high severity risk. The attack vector is network-based, with low complexity required for exploitation, and no privileges or user interaction needed. The confidentiality impact is high, meaning sensitive information can be accessed, while integrity and availability impacts are not applicable.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of this vulnerability stems from insufficient escaping of user inputs, specifically in the SQL queries executed by the ARMember plugin. Because the 'orderby' parameter is directly incorporated into SQL commands without proper sanitization, it opens the door for attackers to manipulate the SQL query, potentially leading to data extraction.
The attack vector is via the network, and the attack complexity is low, making this vulnerability particularly concerning. No privileges are required for exploitation, and no user interaction is necessary, which means that any unauthenticated user can potentially exploit this vulnerability. The confidentiality impact is rated high, as sensitive information may be disclosed, while integrity and availability impacts remain unaffected.
Risk & Impact Analysis
The real-world deployment risk associated with this vulnerability is significant. If exploited, the attacker could gain unauthorized access to sensitive data stored in the database, including user profiles and personal information. The potential blast radius includes all users of the affected plugin, which could lead to widespread data exposure.
Given the high CVSS score and the potential for exploitation, organizations should address this vulnerability in their priority patch cycle. The absence of known exploits currently does not eliminate the risk, as the nature of the vulnerability allows for easy exploitation by attackers.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
All versions of the ARMember plugin prior to version 4.0.60 are affected by this vulnerability. Organizations should ensure that they are using the latest version of the plugin to mitigate risks associated with this vulnerability.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should prioritize upgrading to the latest version of the ARMember plugin to remediate this vulnerability. If an immediate upgrade is not possible, consider implementing input validation and sanitization measures on the 'orderby' parameter, along with restricting access to sensitive database queries.
To further enhance security, organizations may consider engaging in penetration testing to identify and address other potential vulnerabilities within their applications.
Detection Guidance
To detect potential exploitation attempts of this vulnerability, organizations should monitor their logs for unusual SQL query patterns and unauthorized access attempts. Behavioral anomalies in user interactions with the ARMember plugin could also indicate attempts to exploit this vulnerability.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of CVE-2026-7649 highlights the persistent vulnerabilities that can exist in widely used plugins. This incident underlines the importance of regular security assessments and the need for organizations to maintain an updated inventory of their software components.
As this vulnerability represents a common pattern of SQL Injection flaws, it serves as a reminder for security teams to enforce strict input validation and parameterized queries in their development practices.
For further reading on secure coding practices and vulnerability management, organizations can refer to the following resources: penetration testing methodology, vulnerability management program design, and API penetration testing best practices to reinforce their application security posture.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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