CVE-2025-28953 identifies a critical SQL Injection vulnerability in the axiomthemes smart SEO WordPress plugin, affecting all versions up to and including 4.0. The vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of special elements in SQL commands, allowing an attacker to inject malicious SQL code. This can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring user interaction, but requires low-level privileges (likely a low-privileged authenticated user). The vulnerability impacts confidentiality severely by enabling unauthorized data disclosure, with a moderate impact on integrity due to possible data manipulation, while availability remains unaffected. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N) reflects the ease of exploitation and the scope of impact, indicating that the vulnerability affects resources beyond the attacker’s privileges (scope changed). No known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date (November 2025). The vulnerability affects the smart SEO plugin, a tool widely used for search engine optimization in WordPress environments, which is popular among European websites. The lack of available patches at the time of disclosure necessitates immediate risk mitigation through alternative controls. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could extract sensitive data from the backend database, including user information, configuration details, or other confidential content, posing significant risks to data privacy and compliance with regulations such as GDPR.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-28953 is substantial due to the potential exposure of sensitive data stored in WordPress databases, which may include personal data protected under GDPR. Confidentiality breaches can lead to regulatory fines, reputational damage, and loss of customer trust. The partial integrity impact means attackers could alter SEO-related data or other stored information, potentially disrupting business operations or misleading users. Since the vulnerability requires only low privileges and no user interaction, it lowers the barrier for attackers, increasing the risk of exploitation. Organizations relying on the smart SEO plugin for their websites, especially those handling customer data or critical business information, face heightened risk. The absence of known exploits currently provides a window for proactive mitigation, but the high CVSS score signals urgency. The vulnerability could also be leveraged as a foothold for further attacks within the network, escalating the threat landscape for affected entities.

1. Immediately inventory all WordPress installations to identify the presence and version of the axiomthemes smart SEO plugin. 2. Monitor vendor channels closely for official patches or updates addressing CVE-2025-28953 and apply them promptly upon release. 3. Until patches are available, implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules specifically designed to detect and block SQL injection attempts targeting the smart SEO plugin endpoints. 4. Enforce strict input validation and sanitization on all user-supplied data interacting with the plugin, if custom modifications are possible. 5. Limit plugin access permissions to the minimum necessary, restricting low-privilege user capabilities that could be exploited. 6. Conduct regular security scans and penetration tests focusing on SQL injection vulnerabilities in WordPress environments. 7. Monitor database logs and application logs for unusual queries or error messages indicative of injection attempts. 8. Educate administrators and developers about the risks of SQL injection and the importance of timely patching. 9. Consider temporary deactivation of the smart SEO plugin if the risk outweighs its operational necessity until a secure version is available. 10. Employ network segmentation and least privilege principles to reduce the impact of potential exploitation.