CVE-2026-2416 is an SQL Injection vulnerability identified in the Geo Mashup plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 1.13.17. The vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of special elements in the 'sort' parameter used in SQL commands. Specifically, the plugin fails to adequately escape user-supplied input and does not use prepared statements or parameterized queries, allowing attackers to append arbitrary SQL code to existing queries. This flaw enables unauthenticated remote attackers to execute unauthorized SQL queries against the backend database. The impact is primarily on confidentiality, as attackers can extract sensitive data without altering data integrity or availability. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network without any authentication or user interaction, increasing its risk profile. Despite the absence of known exploits in the wild, the vulnerability's CVSS 3.1 score of 7.5 (high) reflects its potential severity. The issue was reserved on February 12, 2026, and published on February 25, 2026, with no official patches currently available. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-89, indicating improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands. The Geo Mashup plugin is widely used to integrate geographic data into WordPress sites, making this vulnerability relevant to a broad user base.

The primary impact of CVE-2026-2416 is unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information stored in the WordPress site's database. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can retrieve confidential data such as user credentials, personal information, or site configuration details. Since the vulnerability does not affect data integrity or availability, it does not directly enable data modification or denial of service. However, the exposure of sensitive data can lead to further attacks, including account takeover, privilege escalation, or targeted phishing campaigns. The ease of exploitation—requiring no authentication or user interaction—means that attackers can automate attacks at scale, potentially compromising numerous sites. Organizations relying on Geo Mashup for geographic data display face reputational damage, regulatory compliance issues, and potential financial losses if sensitive customer or business data is leaked. The risk is amplified for sites with high-value data or those operating in regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, or government sectors.

1. Immediate mitigation involves disabling the Geo Mashup plugin until an official patch is released. 2. Monitor the vendor’s announcements for security updates and apply patches promptly once available. 3. Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL Injection attempts targeting the 'sort' parameter, using signature-based or behavior-based detection. 4. Employ input validation and sanitization at the application level to reject suspicious or malformed input before it reaches the database layer. 5. Restrict database user permissions to the minimum necessary, preventing unauthorized data access even if injection occurs. 6. Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability scans on WordPress installations to identify vulnerable plugins. 7. Maintain up-to-date backups of website data to enable recovery in case of compromise. 8. Educate site administrators about the risks of using outdated or unpatched plugins and encourage timely updates. 9. Consider using alternative plugins with better security track records if Geo Mashup remains unpatched for an extended period.