CVE-2023-40010 is a critical SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) found in the WordPress plugin "HUSKY – Products Filter for WooCommerce Professional" developed by realmag777. This vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.3.4.2. The flaw arises from improper neutralization of special elements in SQL commands, allowing an unauthenticated attacker to inject malicious SQL code remotely without any user interaction. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 9.3, indicating a critical severity level. The vector string (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:L) reveals that the attack can be performed over the network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges or user interaction, and results in a complete confidentiality breach (full data disclosure) with limited impact on availability (low availability impact) and no integrity impact. The scope is changed, meaning the vulnerability affects resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. Since the plugin is used to filter products in WooCommerce stores, exploitation could allow attackers to extract sensitive customer and business data from the underlying database, such as user credentials, order details, or payment information. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the high CVSS score and ease of exploitation make this a significant threat. No official patches or updates are currently linked, so affected users must monitor vendor communications closely. The vulnerability was reserved in August 2023 and published in December 2023, indicating recent discovery and disclosure.

For European organizations operating WooCommerce-based e-commerce websites using the vulnerable HUSKY Products Filter plugin, this vulnerability poses a severe risk. Attackers could remotely extract sensitive customer data, including personal and payment information, leading to privacy violations under GDPR and potential regulatory penalties. The confidentiality breach could damage customer trust and brand reputation. Additionally, attackers might leverage the extracted data for further attacks such as identity theft or fraud. The limited availability impact means the site may experience minor disruptions but is unlikely to be fully taken offline. However, the critical confidentiality impact combined with the ease of exploitation (no authentication or user interaction required) makes this a high-priority issue for European retailers, especially small and medium enterprises relying on WooCommerce for online sales. The vulnerability also increases the risk of compliance violations and financial losses due to data breaches.

1. Immediate mitigation involves disabling or removing the vulnerable HUSKY – Products Filter for WooCommerce Professional plugin until a security patch is released. 2. Monitor the plugin vendor's official channels and Patchstack advisories for updates or patches addressing CVE-2023-40010. 3. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules specifically designed to detect and block SQL injection attempts targeting WooCommerce plugins. 4. Conduct thorough security audits and database access monitoring to detect any suspicious queries or data exfiltration attempts. 5. Restrict database user permissions to the minimum necessary for plugin operation to limit potential data exposure. 6. Regularly back up website and database content to enable rapid recovery in case of compromise. 7. Educate site administrators on the risks of installing unverified plugins and encourage timely updates. 8. Consider alternative product filtering plugins with verified security track records until this vulnerability is resolved.