CVE-2026-1581 is a critical SQL Injection vulnerability identified in the wpForo Forum plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 2.4.14. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of special elements in the 'wpfob' HTTP parameter, which is insufficiently escaped and inadequately prepared within SQL queries. This flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to inject additional SQL commands into existing queries, specifically enabling time-based blind SQL Injection attacks. Such attacks can be leveraged to extract sensitive information from the backend database, including user credentials, configuration data, or other confidential content stored within the forum's database. The vulnerability requires no authentication or user interaction, increasing its exploitability. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, reflecting high severity due to network exploitability, lack of required privileges, and high impact on confidentiality. Although no public exploits have been reported yet, the vulnerability's nature and ease of exploitation make it a critical concern for all wpForo Forum users. No official patches or updates have been linked at this time, indicating that mitigation relies on temporary controls and monitoring. The vulnerability is cataloged under CWE-89, which covers improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands, a common and dangerous class of injection flaws.

The primary impact of CVE-2026-1581 is the compromise of confidentiality through unauthorized extraction of sensitive data from the wpForo Forum's database. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely without authentication, potentially accessing user data, private messages, administrative credentials, or other sensitive forum content. This can lead to data breaches, identity theft, and further compromise of the hosting environment if attackers leverage obtained credentials for lateral movement. The integrity and availability of the system are not directly affected by this vulnerability, but the loss of confidentiality alone can have severe reputational and legal consequences for organizations. Given the widespread use of WordPress and the popularity of wpForo as a forum solution, many organizations worldwide, including businesses, educational institutions, and community platforms, could be impacted. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk, but the vulnerability’s characteristics make it a prime target for attackers once exploit code becomes available. Organizations failing to address this vulnerability risk significant data exposure and potential regulatory penalties related to data protection laws.

1. Immediately disable or restrict access to the 'wpfob' parameter if possible, using web application firewalls (WAFs) or server-side filtering to block suspicious input patterns. 2. Implement strict input validation and sanitization on all user-supplied parameters, particularly 'wpfob', to reject or escape special characters that could be used in SQL Injection. 3. Employ parameterized queries or prepared statements in the wpForo plugin codebase to prevent injection attacks; if you have development resources, patch the code manually until an official update is released. 4. Monitor database logs and web server logs for unusual or time-delayed query patterns indicative of time-based SQL Injection attempts. 5. Restrict database user permissions to the minimum necessary, limiting the impact of any successful injection. 6. Stay alert for official patches or updates from the wpForo plugin vendor and apply them promptly once available. 7. Consider deploying runtime application self-protection (RASP) tools that can detect and block injection attempts in real-time. 8. Educate administrators and developers about this vulnerability and ensure secure coding practices are followed in future plugin updates.