CVE-2025-5590 is a high-severity SQL Injection vulnerability affecting the Owl carousel responsive plugin for WordPress, developed by gopiplus. This vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 1.9 of the plugin. The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements in SQL commands (CWE-89), specifically due to insufficient escaping of the user-supplied 'id' parameter and lack of proper query preparation. An authenticated attacker with at least Contributor-level access to a WordPress site can exploit this flaw by injecting malicious SQL payloads through the 'id' parameter. This injection is time-based, allowing attackers to infer data by measuring response delays, and can be used to append additional SQL queries to existing ones. The impact includes unauthorized extraction of sensitive database information, potentially compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system's data. The vulnerability does not require user interaction beyond authentication and can be exploited remotely over the network (AV:N). The CVSS 3.1 base score is 8.8, reflecting high severity with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, low attack complexity, and requiring only low privileges (PR:L). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches have been released yet. The plugin is widely used in WordPress sites for responsive carousel functionality, making this vulnerability relevant to many web environments that rely on WordPress content management systems.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially for those using WordPress sites with the Owl carousel responsive plugin installed. Exploitation can lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data such as user credentials, business information, or personal data protected under GDPR. The ability to execute arbitrary SQL commands can also allow attackers to modify or delete data, disrupting business operations and potentially causing reputational damage. Given the plugin's role in front-end content display, exploitation could also lead to site defacement or injection of malicious content, impacting customer trust. Organizations in sectors with strict data protection requirements (e.g., finance, healthcare, government) are particularly at risk. The requirement for Contributor-level access means that insider threats or compromised accounts with moderate privileges can leverage this vulnerability, increasing the attack surface. The lack of patches means that organizations must act promptly to mitigate risk. Additionally, the vulnerability could be leveraged as a foothold for further lateral movement or privilege escalation within the network.

1. Immediate mitigation should include auditing WordPress user roles and permissions to ensure that only trusted users have Contributor-level or higher access, minimizing the risk of exploitation by insiders or compromised accounts. 2. Disable or remove the Owl carousel responsive plugin if it is not essential to the website's functionality until a patched version is available. 3. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules specifically designed to detect and block SQL injection attempts targeting the 'id' parameter in the plugin's requests. Custom rules can be crafted using known SQL injection patterns and time-based injection signatures. 4. Monitor web server and application logs for unusual query patterns or anomalies related to the 'id' parameter to detect potential exploitation attempts early. 5. Employ database activity monitoring to identify suspicious queries that could indicate exploitation. 6. Prepare for patch deployment by tracking vendor updates closely; once a patch is released, apply it promptly in all environments. 7. Consider isolating WordPress instances hosting this plugin in segmented network zones to limit potential lateral movement if compromised. 8. Educate site administrators and developers about secure coding practices and the risks of SQL injection to prevent similar vulnerabilities in custom plugins or themes.