CVE-2024-12735 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting the Advance Post Prefix WordPress plugin up to version 1.1.1. The vulnerability arises because the plugin fails to properly sanitize and escape a parameter before incorporating it into a SQL statement. This improper handling allows users with administrator-level privileges or higher to perform SQL injection attacks. Although the vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79 (Cross-Site Scripting), the description and impact indicate a SQL injection vector, which suggests a potential misclassification or a combined issue involving both XSS and SQL injection. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.2 reflects a high severity, with an attack vector of network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:H), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). This means that an attacker with admin privileges can remotely exploit this vulnerability without user interaction, leading to full compromise of the affected system's data and functionality. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, indicating that organizations should be vigilant and monitor for updates. The vulnerability affects all versions up to 1.1.1 of the Advance Post Prefix plugin, which is used in WordPress environments to customize post URL prefixes. Given the administrative privileges required, exploitation is limited to users who already have elevated access, but the impact of exploitation is severe, potentially allowing attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands, leading to data theft, data manipulation, or denial of service.

For European organizations using WordPress with the Advance Post Prefix plugin, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. Since exploitation requires administrator-level access, the primary threat vector is insider threats or compromised admin accounts. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized data access, data corruption, or complete site defacement, impacting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of web assets. This could result in reputational damage, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR violations due to data breaches), and operational disruptions. Organizations in sectors with high reliance on WordPress for public-facing websites or internal portals—such as media, education, government, and e-commerce—may face increased risk. The lack of a patch and absence of known exploits in the wild means organizations must proactively assess their exposure and implement compensating controls. Additionally, attackers could leverage this vulnerability as a foothold for further lateral movement within networks, especially in environments where WordPress is integrated with other critical systems.

1. Immediate mitigation involves restricting administrator access to trusted personnel only and enforcing strong authentication mechanisms, including multi-factor authentication (MFA), to reduce the risk of compromised admin accounts. 2. Conduct a thorough audit of all WordPress plugins and remove or disable the Advance Post Prefix plugin if it is not essential. 3. Monitor web server logs and database logs for unusual SQL queries or suspicious activity indicative of exploitation attempts. 4. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules tailored to detect and block SQL injection patterns targeting the affected plugin parameters. 5. Regularly update WordPress core, themes, and plugins, and subscribe to security advisories for the Advance Post Prefix plugin to apply patches promptly once available. 6. Employ the principle of least privilege by limiting database user permissions associated with WordPress to only what is necessary, reducing the potential impact of SQL injection. 7. Consider deploying runtime application self-protection (RASP) tools that can detect and prevent injection attacks in real-time. 8. Educate administrators about the risks of privilege misuse and the importance of secure credential management.