VulnerabilityPublished 26 Apr 2024Updated 1 Aug 2024

CVE-2024-1789: WP SMTP · SQL Injection

Affects WP SMTPSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.2 High.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

7.2High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 39% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: High
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: High

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: High: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide significant (e.g., administrative) control over the vulnerable component that could affect component-wide settings and files.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: High: There is a total loss of integrity, or a complete loss of protection. For example, the attacker is able to modify any/all files protected by the impacted component. Alternatively, only some files can be modified, but malicious modification would present a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.
Availability: High: There is total loss of availability, resulting in the attacker being able to fully deny access to resources in the impacted component; this loss is either sustained (while the attacker continues to deliver the attack) or persistent (the condition persists even after the attack has completed). Alternatively, the attacker has the ability to deny some availability, but the loss of availability presents a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component (e.g., the attacker cannot disrupt existing connections, but can prevent new connections; the attacker can repeatedly exploit a vulnerability that, in each instance of a successful attack, leaks a only small amount of memory, but after repeated exploitation causes a service to become completely unavailable).

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 26 Apr 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
jack-kitterhing WP SMTP	Affected =1.2	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2024-1789, organizations should immediately verify the version of the WP SMTP plugin in use and upgrade to a patched version once available. In the absence of an official patch, administrators should consider disabling the plugin temporarily to prevent exploitation. Implementing Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious SQL injection patterns targeting the 'search' parameter can provide interim protection. Restricting administrator access strictly to trusted personnel and enforcing strong authentication mechanisms reduces the risk of privilege abuse. Conducting regular security audits and monitoring database query logs for anomalous activity can help detect exploitation attempts early. Developers maintaining the plugin should adopt parameterized queries and proper input validation to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future releases. Additionally, organizations should ensure that backups are up-to-date and tested to enable recovery in case of data compromise.

Description

The WP SMTP plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to SQL Injection via the 'search' parameter in versions 1.2 to 1.2.6 due to insufficient escaping on the user supplied parameter and lack of sufficient preparation on the existing SQL query. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with administrator-level access and above, to append additional SQL queries into already existing queries that can be used to extract sensitive information from the database.

Impact

The impact of CVE-2024-1789 is substantial for organizations using the affected WP SMTP plugin versions. Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive database contents, including user credentials, email configurations, and other confidential data stored within the WordPress database. Attackers could alter or delete data, potentially disrupting email functionality and overall site operations. Given that the vulnerability requires administrator-level access, the threat is primarily from insiders or attackers who have already compromised lower-level accounts and escalated privileges. However, once exploited, the attacker gains significant control over the database, threatening confidentiality, integrity, and availability. This could lead to data breaches, loss of customer trust, regulatory penalties, and operational downtime. Organizations relying on WordPress for critical business functions or handling sensitive information are particularly at risk.

Summary

CVE-2024-1789 is an SQL Injection vulnerability identified in the WP SMTP plugin for WordPress, specifically in versions 1.2 through 1.2.6. The root cause is the improper neutralization of special elements in the 'search' parameter, which is used in SQL queries without adequate escaping or parameterization. This flaw allows an attacker with administrator-level privileges to append arbitrary SQL commands to existing queries. The vulnerability leverages CWE-89, indicating a failure to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into SQL statements. Exploiting this vulnerability can enable attackers to extract sensitive information from the WordPress database, modify data, or disrupt database availability. The CVSS v3.1 score is 7.2, reflecting high severity due to network attack vector, low attack complexity, required privileges at the administrator level, and no user interaction needed. Although no public exploits have been reported, the vulnerability poses a significant risk given the widespread use of WordPress and the critical role of SMTP plugins in email delivery. The vulnerability was published on April 26, 2024, and assigned by Wordfence. No official patches or updates are currently linked, emphasizing the need for immediate attention from site administrators.

CWE-89Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: HighCWE Top 25 (2025): #2OWASP Top 10 A05:2025: Injection (opens in a new tab)
The product constructs all or part of an SQL command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended SQL command when it is sent to a downstream component. Without sufficient removal or quoting of SQL syntax in user-controllable inputs, the generated SQL query can cause those inputs to be interpreted as SQL instead of ordinary user data.
Architecture and Design · Libraries or Frameworks
Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.
Architecture and Design · Parameterization
If available, use structured mechanisms that automatically enforce the separation between data and code. These mechanisms may be able to provide the relevant quoting, encoding, and validation automatically, instead of relying on the developer to provide this capability at every point where output is generated.
Architecture and Design · Operation · Environment Hardening
Run your code using the lowest privileges that are required to accomplish the necessary tasks. If possible, create isolated accounts with limited privileges that are only used for a single task. That way, a successful attack will not immediately give the attacker access to the rest of the software or its environment.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Query Parameterization (opens in a new tab)
Unvalidated Redirects and Forwards (opens in a new tab)
XML Security (opens in a new tab)
XML External Entity Prevention (opens in a new tab)
File Upload (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V5.3.4 (opens in a new tab)
V5.3.5 (opens in a new tab)
V1.5.1 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Command Line Execution through SQL Injection (opens in a new tab)
Object Relational Mapping Injection (opens in a new tab)
SQL Injection through SOAP Parameter Tampering (opens in a new tab)
Expanding Control over the Operating System from the Database (opens in a new tab)
SQL Injection (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 26 Feb 2026, 09:52 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-89

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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