CVE-2025-7826 identifies a SQL Injection vulnerability in the Testimonial plugin for WordPress, developed by laki_patel, affecting all versions up to 2.3. The vulnerability stems from insufficient escaping and lack of prepared statements in the handling of the 'iNICtestimonial' shortcode parameter. Authenticated users with Contributor-level or higher privileges can exploit this flaw by injecting additional SQL queries appended to existing ones, enabling unauthorized retrieval of sensitive data from the backend database. The attack vector requires network access and authentication but does not require user interaction beyond submitting crafted shortcode parameters. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality by exposing potentially sensitive information stored in the database but does not affect data integrity or availability. The CVSS v3.1 score is 6.5 (medium severity), reflecting the ease of exploitation with low attack complexity and no user interaction, but limited to authenticated users with specific roles. No public exploits have been reported yet, and no official patches are currently available. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and use of parameterized queries in WordPress plugin development to prevent injection attacks.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the confidentiality of data stored in WordPress sites using the Testimonial plugin. Attackers with Contributor-level access can extract sensitive information such as user data, internal content, or configuration details from the database. This could lead to data breaches, compliance violations (e.g., GDPR), and reputational damage. Since WordPress is widely used across Europe for corporate websites, blogs, and e-commerce platforms, organizations relying on this plugin are vulnerable if they have contributors with editing privileges. The vulnerability does not directly impact system availability or data integrity but can facilitate further attacks if sensitive data is exposed. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk but should not lead to complacency. Organizations in regulated sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government are particularly at risk due to the sensitivity of their data and strict regulatory requirements.

1. Monitor for official patches or updates from the plugin developer and apply them promptly once available. 2. Until a patch is released, restrict Contributor-level and higher access to trusted users only, minimizing the risk of exploitation. 3. Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious SQL injection patterns targeting the 'iNICtestimonial' shortcode parameter. 4. Conduct code reviews and apply custom input validation and sanitization on the shortcode parameters to ensure no special SQL characters can be injected. 5. If feasible, modify the plugin code to use prepared statements or parameterized queries for all database interactions involving user input. 6. Regularly audit WordPress user roles and permissions to ensure least privilege principles are enforced. 7. Monitor logs for unusual database query patterns or access attempts that could indicate exploitation attempts. 8. Educate content contributors about the risks of injecting untrusted content and enforce secure content submission policies.