CVE-2021-38324 is a high-severity SQL Injection vulnerability affecting the SP Rental Manager WordPress plugin, specifically versions up to and including 1.5.3. The vulnerability resides in the handling of the 'orderby' parameter within the ~/user/shortcodes.php file. An attacker can exploit this flaw by injecting malicious SQL code through the 'orderby' parameter, which is not properly sanitized or validated before being used in database queries. This allows unauthorized retrieval of sensitive information stored in the website's database, such as user data, rental records, or other confidential content managed by the plugin. The vulnerability does not require authentication or user interaction, and can be exploited remotely over the network (AV:N), with low attack complexity (AC:L). The CVSS 3.1 base score is 8.2, reflecting a high impact on confidentiality (C:H), no impact on integrity (I:N), and low impact on availability (A:L). Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the nature of SQL Injection vulnerabilities makes this a critical concern for affected sites, as attackers can leverage it for data exfiltration or potentially pivot to further attacks. The vulnerability is publicly disclosed and assigned by Wordfence, with enriched data from CISA, but no official patch links are provided in the source information, indicating that site administrators must verify plugin updates or apply manual mitigations.

For European organizations using the SP Rental Manager plugin on their WordPress sites, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the confidentiality of their data. Rental management systems often handle personal information of customers, booking details, and payment-related data, which if exposed, can lead to privacy violations under GDPR regulations. Data breaches could result in regulatory fines, reputational damage, and loss of customer trust. Additionally, attackers could use the extracted information to conduct further targeted attacks such as phishing or identity theft. The vulnerability's ease of exploitation without authentication increases the risk of automated scanning and mass exploitation attempts, potentially affecting multiple organizations simultaneously. Given the criticality of data protection in Europe, organizations must prioritize addressing this vulnerability to maintain compliance and secure their digital assets.

1. Immediate action should be to verify if the SP Rental Manager plugin is installed and if the version is 1.5.3 or earlier. 2. Check for any official updates or patches from the plugin vendor and apply them promptly once available. 3. If no official patch exists, consider temporarily disabling the plugin or restricting access to the affected shortcode functionality via web application firewall (WAF) rules or server-level access controls to block malicious 'orderby' parameter inputs. 4. Implement input validation and sanitization on all parameters, especially those used in database queries, to prevent injection attacks. 5. Employ parameterized queries or prepared statements in the plugin code to eliminate direct concatenation of user input into SQL commands. 6. Monitor web server logs and intrusion detection systems for suspicious requests targeting the 'orderby' parameter or unusual database query patterns. 7. Conduct a thorough audit of the database for any signs of unauthorized access or data exfiltration. 8. Educate site administrators on the risks of outdated plugins and the importance of timely updates. 9. Consider deploying runtime application self-protection (RASP) or advanced WAF solutions capable of detecting and blocking SQL Injection attempts in real time.