BuddyformsWordPress extension · Themekraft
CVE-2018-21003
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe buddyforms plugin before 2.2.8 for WordPress has SQL injection.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceThe BuddyForms WordPress plugin before version 2.2.8 contains a SQL injection vulnerability. This critical flaw allows attackers to manipulate database queries, potentially exposing sensitive data or compromising the entire WordPress installation. The CVSS score of 9.8 indicates the vulnerability is remotely exploitable and could lead to complete system compromise.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
BuddyformsWordPress extension
< 2.2.8CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed BuddyForms versionNavigate to WordPress Admin > Plugins > Installed Plugins. Locate BuddyForms or BuddyForms (Themekraft) in the list and read the version number displayed beneath the plugin name. Alternatively, inspect the main plugin file (buddyforms.php) and look for the 'Version' header comment in the plugin file.Affected if The displayed version number is lower than 2.2.8 (for example, 2.2.7, 2.2.6, or any version below 2.2.8)
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Verify the plugin is activeIn WordPress Admin > Plugins > Installed Plugins, confirm that BuddyForms shows as 'Active' under the plugin status column.Affected if The plugin is installed and active, and the version is below 2.2.8
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Check for public-facing formsNavigate to WordPress Admin > BuddyForms > All Forms. Review any published forms that accept user input, as these are the potential vectors for SQL injection exploitation.Affected if Active forms exist and the plugin version is below 2.2.8
You are affected if the BuddyForms plugin is installed and active with a version lower than 2.2.8.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped2.2.8
Update the BuddyForms plugin to version 2.2.8 or later to patch the SQL injection vulnerability. As a critical severity issue, this should be prioritized for immediate remediation.
Buddyforms 2.2.8
- Back up your WordPress site (database and files) before updating
- Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins in the WordPress admin dashboard
- Locate Buddyforms in the plugin list
- Click 'Update Now' on the Buddyforms plugin entry
- Alternatively, use wp-cli: wp plugin update buddyforms
- After updating, verify the installed version is 2.2.8 or later
- Test critical Buddyforms functionality to ensure the site works correctly
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Buddyforms
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-21003 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-21003 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data