CVE-2024-13473 is a SQL Injection vulnerability identified in the 'LTL Freight Quotes – Worldwide Express Edition' plugin developed by enituretechnology for WordPress. This vulnerability affects all plugin versions up to and including 5.0.20. The root cause is the improper neutralization of special elements in SQL commands, specifically due to insufficient escaping and lack of prepared statements for the 'dropship_edit_id' and 'edit_id' parameters. These parameters are user-supplied and directly incorporated into SQL queries without adequate sanitization, enabling attackers to append arbitrary SQL code. This flaw allows unauthenticated remote attackers to execute unauthorized SQL queries, potentially extracting sensitive information such as customer data, pricing, or internal configurations from the backend database. The vulnerability does not require authentication or user interaction, increasing its exploitability. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, reflecting high severity with network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, no user interaction, and a significant impact on confidentiality. While no public exploits have been reported yet, the widespread use of WordPress and the plugin in freight and logistics industries could make this an attractive target for attackers. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-89, which covers SQL Injection issues caused by improper neutralization of special elements in SQL commands.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-13473 is the potential unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information stored in the backend database of affected WordPress sites using the vulnerable plugin. Attackers can exploit this flaw to extract confidential data such as customer details, shipping information, pricing structures, and possibly credentials or tokens stored in the database. This breach of confidentiality can lead to privacy violations, competitive disadvantage, regulatory non-compliance, and reputational damage. Since the vulnerability does not affect data integrity or availability, it does not directly enable data modification or denial of service. However, stolen data can be leveraged for further attacks such as phishing, identity theft, or lateral movement within an organization’s network. The ease of exploitation without authentication or user interaction increases the risk of automated scanning and mass exploitation campaigns. Organizations relying on this plugin for freight quoting and logistics management worldwide could face significant operational and legal consequences if exploited.

1. Immediate upgrade: Organizations should upgrade the 'LTL Freight Quotes – Worldwide Express Edition' plugin to a version that patches this vulnerability once released by enituretechnology. 2. Input validation: Until a patch is available, implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection attempts targeting the 'dropship_edit_id' and 'edit_id' parameters. 3. Parameter sanitization: If custom development is possible, modify the plugin code to use prepared statements with parameterized queries instead of directly embedding user input into SQL commands. 4. Access restrictions: Restrict access to the affected plugin’s endpoints by IP whitelisting or authentication mechanisms to reduce exposure. 5. Monitoring and logging: Enable detailed logging of web requests and database queries to detect suspicious activity indicative of SQL injection attempts. 6. Backup and recovery: Maintain regular backups of the database to enable recovery in case of data compromise. 7. Security awareness: Educate administrators about the risks of SQL injection and the importance of timely patching and monitoring.