CVE-2026-2576 identifies a critical SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) in the Business Directory Plugin – Easy Listing Directories for WordPress, maintained by strategy11team. The flaw exists in the handling of the 'payment' parameter, which is insufficiently escaped and incorporated into SQL queries without proper preparation or parameterization. This allows unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary SQL commands via time-based techniques, enabling them to infer sensitive data from the backend database by measuring response delays. The vulnerability affects all plugin versions up to and including 6.4.2. The attack vector requires no authentication or user interaction, increasing its risk profile. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.5 (high), reflecting network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, no user interaction, and a significant confidentiality impact. While no public exploits have been observed, the vulnerability's nature makes it a prime target for attackers seeking to extract sensitive information such as user credentials, payment details, or other confidential business data stored in the database. The plugin is widely used in WordPress environments to manage business listings, making affected sites vulnerable to data breaches and potential compliance violations if exploited.

For European organizations, exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive business and customer data, undermining confidentiality and potentially violating GDPR and other data protection regulations. The breach of payment-related information or personally identifiable information (PII) could result in financial losses, reputational damage, and regulatory penalties. Since the vulnerability requires no authentication and can be exploited remotely, attackers could automate attacks at scale, affecting multiple organizations simultaneously. The availability and integrity of the affected WordPress sites are not directly impacted, but the loss of trust and data confidentiality could have severe operational and legal consequences. Organizations using this plugin for critical business directory services may face disruption in service continuity if forced to take systems offline for remediation or investigation.

Immediate mitigation involves updating the Business Directory Plugin to a version beyond 6.4.2 once a patch is released by the vendor. Until then, organizations should implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL Injection attempts targeting the 'payment' parameter, focusing on time-based injection patterns and suspicious query strings. Restricting direct access to the vulnerable plugin endpoints via IP whitelisting or authentication can reduce exposure. Conduct thorough code reviews and consider temporarily disabling the plugin if patching is not immediately feasible. Additionally, monitor logs for unusual database query patterns or delays indicative of time-based SQL Injection attempts. Employ database user accounts with least privilege to limit data exposure in case of successful exploitation. Regular backups and incident response plans should be updated to prepare for potential data breaches.