CVE-2025-11981 identifies an SQL Injection vulnerability in the WPSchoolPress plugin for WordPress, a school management system developed by jdsofttech. The vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of special elements in SQL commands (CWE-89), specifically through the 'SCodes' parameter. In all plugin versions up to and including 2.2.23, the input supplied to 'SCodes' is insufficiently escaped and the SQL queries are not properly parameterized or prepared. This allows an authenticated attacker with administrator-level privileges to append arbitrary SQL queries to existing database commands. The attacker can exploit this to extract sensitive information from the backend database, such as student records, user credentials, or other confidential data. The vulnerability does not affect integrity or availability directly, as it does not allow modification or deletion of data, nor does it cause denial of service. Exploitation requires network access and administrator privileges but no additional user interaction. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N) reflects that the attack is remotely exploitable with low complexity but requires high privileges. No public exploits are currently known, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability was published on November 14, 2025, and was reserved on October 20, 2025. Given the nature of the plugin and its use in educational environments, the exposure is significant for institutions relying on this software for managing sensitive student and staff data.

For European organizations, especially educational institutions using WordPress with the WPSchoolPress plugin, this vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized disclosure of sensitive student and administrative data. The breach of confidentiality could lead to privacy violations under GDPR, resulting in legal penalties and reputational damage. Although the vulnerability requires administrator-level access, insider threats or compromised administrator accounts could be leveraged to exploit this flaw. The lack of impact on data integrity or availability limits the scope of damage, but data leakage alone is critical given the sensitivity of educational records. The vulnerability could also be used as a foothold for further attacks if attackers gain database information that aids lateral movement or privilege escalation. European schools with limited cybersecurity resources may be slower to patch or mitigate, increasing exposure time. The medium severity score reflects these factors, but the potential regulatory and privacy implications elevate the importance of timely remediation.

1. Monitor jdsofttech and WordPress plugin repositories for official patches addressing CVE-2025-11981 and apply updates immediately upon release. 2. Until patches are available, implement strict input validation and sanitization on the 'SCodes' parameter to reject or escape special SQL characters. 3. Employ prepared statements and parameterized queries in the plugin code to prevent SQL injection. 4. Restrict administrator access to trusted personnel only and enforce strong authentication mechanisms, including multi-factor authentication. 5. Regularly audit administrator accounts and review database access logs for unusual query patterns or data access. 6. Consider deploying Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block SQL injection attempts targeting the vulnerable parameter. 7. Educate IT staff and administrators about the risks of SQL injection and the importance of least privilege principles. 8. Backup databases regularly and ensure backups are securely stored to enable recovery if exploitation leads to data compromise. 9. Conduct vulnerability scanning and penetration testing focused on SQL injection vectors in the school management system environment. 10. If feasible, isolate the school management system database from other critical infrastructure to limit potential lateral movement.