CVE-2025-1446 – Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields – SQL Injection – POC

Pods is a powerful plugin for WordPress that allows users to create and manage custom post types, fields, and taxonomies. This plugin is widely used for extending WordPress’s native functionality and creating custom content types to suit different needs. However, a severe SQL Injection vulnerability (CVE-2025-1446) has been discovered in the Pods plugin. This vulnerability allows an attacker to inject malicious SQL queries via user input, potentially leading to unauthorized access to the WordPress database. If exploited, this flaw could result in data leakage, manipulation, or even full administrative control over the site.

CVE	CVE-2025-1446
Plugin	Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields
Critical	High
All Time	4 675 353
Active installations	100 000+
Publicly Published	March 11, 2025
Last Updated	March 11, 2025
Researcher	Dmitrii Ignatyev
OWASP TOP-10	A1: Injection
PoC	Yes
Exploit	No
Reference	https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2025-1446 https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/c170fb45-7ed5-40ef-99f6-8da035a23d89/
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Timeline

Discovery of the Vulnerability

The vulnerability was found during a security assessment of the Pods plugin’s functionality for creating and managing custom content types and fields. Specifically, the issue lies in the “Relationship field” settings, where users can link different content types. The vulnerability arises from the lack of proper input sanitization in the “Customized ORDER BY” field within the Relationship Options section. By manipulating this field with a specially crafted SQL injection payload, an attacker can execute arbitrary SQL queries on the WordPress database. This flaw is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms and gain unauthorized access to sensitive data.

Understanding of SQL Injection attack’s

SQL Injection is one of the most common and dangerous vulnerabilities in web applications. It occurs when user input is improperly sanitized and is directly used in SQL queries without validation. In WordPress, many plugins interact with the database, and if they do not adequately protect user inputs, attackers can craft SQL statements to manipulate the database in harmful ways. For example, an attacker could retrieve or modify user data, bypass authentication, delete tables, or execute arbitrary commands on the server. One notorious example of SQL Injection is the vulnerability found in the WP-DBManager plugin (CVE-2017-1002103), which allowed attackers to inject malicious SQL code into database queries, leading to full database access. CVE-2025-1446 in the Pods plugin is similar, allowing an attacker to inject SQL through the “ORDER BY” field in a relationship field configuration, potentially compromising the entire database.

Exploiting the SQL Injection Vulnerability

To exploit CVE-2025-1446, an attacker with Admin+ privileges:

POC:

1) Create a new Users pod. 
2) Add new field to this pod
3) Choose Relationship field.
4) Change "Related type" to "Users"
5) Go to "Relationship Options" and change "Selection Type" to "Multi Select"
6) Change "Customized ORDER BY" field to "123 AND (select sleep(5)) -- "
7) Go to any user profile 

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The potential risks associated with CVE-2025-1446 are substantial. If exploited, an attacker could gain access to all data stored in the WordPress database, including sensitive user information such as login credentials, personal details, and financial data. Furthermore, attackers could modify or delete data, disrupt website functionality, or even gain full administrative control of the site. In a real-world scenario, an attacker could use this vulnerability to exfiltrate sensitive data from a site, such as customer information from an e-commerce site, or insert malicious scripts that could lead to site defacement or further exploitation. Additionally, if the attacker gains access to the administrative backend of WordPress, they could install backdoors, malicious plugins, or create new administrator accounts to maintain persistent access.

Recommendations for Improved Security

To mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2025-1446, website administrators should immediately update the Pods plugin to the latest version as soon as a patch is available. In the meantime, it is recommended to restrict editor-level access to the plugin’s settings and ensure that only trusted users with admin privileges can manage relationship fields. Developers should sanitize and validate all user inputs, especially those that interact with the database, to prevent SQL injection. WordPress provides functions like esc_sql() and prepare() to safely prepare SQL queries and avoid injection attacks. Furthermore, administrators should implement security measures like Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) and Content Security Policies (CSPs) to detect and block SQL injection attempts. Regular security audits of WordPress plugins and the database should also be conducted to identify and resolve any vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

By taking proactive measures to address SQL Injection vulnerabilities like CVE-2025-1446, WordPress website owners can enhance their security posture and safeguard against potential exploitation. Stay vigilant, stay secure.

#WordPressSecurity #SQLInjection #WebsiteSafety #StayProtected #HighVulnerability

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Dmitrii I.