The vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-0678 affects the Flat Shipping Rate by City for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress, specifically versions up to and including 1.0.3. It is a time-based SQL Injection vulnerability caused by improper neutralization of special elements in SQL commands (CWE-89). The issue stems from insufficient escaping and lack of prepared statements for the 'cities' parameter, which is user-supplied. Authenticated attackers with Shop Manager-level access or higher can exploit this flaw by injecting additional SQL queries into existing database queries. This allows them to extract sensitive information from the backend database without affecting data integrity or availability. The attack vector is network-based with low attack complexity, requiring no user interaction but necessitating elevated privileges. The CVSS v3.1 score is 4.9 (medium severity), reflecting the moderate risk due to required privileges and limited scope. No patches or known exploits are currently available, but the vulnerability poses a risk to WooCommerce installations using this plugin, especially in e-commerce environments where sensitive customer and transaction data is stored.

For European organizations, particularly those operating e-commerce platforms on WordPress with WooCommerce, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive customer data, including personal and transactional information. The confidentiality breach could result in regulatory non-compliance under GDPR, leading to legal and financial penalties. Although the vulnerability does not affect data integrity or availability, the exposure of sensitive data can damage brand reputation and customer trust. Attackers with Shop Manager access could leverage this flaw to gain insights into the database schema or extract credentials, potentially facilitating further attacks. The impact is more pronounced for medium to large online retailers in Europe that rely on this plugin for shipping rate calculations by city, as they typically have more complex databases and higher volumes of sensitive data.

Immediate mitigation involves restricting Shop Manager and higher privileges to trusted personnel only, minimizing the risk of insider threats. Implement strict input validation and sanitization on the 'cities' parameter at the application level to prevent injection. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious SQL injection patterns targeting this parameter. Monitor logs for unusual database query patterns or access attempts by Shop Manager accounts. Since no official patch is currently available, consider temporarily disabling or replacing the plugin with a secure alternative. Once a vendor patch is released, apply it promptly. Additionally, conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focusing on plugins and custom code handling user input. Educate administrators on the risks associated with elevated privileges and enforce the principle of least privilege.