dbcve.org
SQL InjectionWeakness · CWE-89

CVE-2025-13138

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-11-21
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
The WP Directory Kit plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to SQL Injection via the 'columns_search' parameter of the select_2_ajax() function in all versions up to, and including, 1.4.3 due to insufficient escaping on the user supplied parameter and lack of sufficient preparation on the existing SQL query. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to append additional SQL queries into already existing queries that can be used to extract sensitive information from the database.

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 · high confidence

The WP Directory Kit WordPress plugin (versions up to 1.4.3) contains an unauthenticated SQL injection vulnerability in the select_2_ajax() function. The 'columns_search' parameter is not properly escaped and the existing SQL query lacks prepared statements, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary SQL commands to extract sensitive database information.

MitigationUpdate the WP Directory Kit plugin to a version newer than 1.4.3. If no patched version is available, disable the plugin until a fix is released.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS 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
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify WP Directory Kit plugin is installed
    Check the WordPress plugins directory (wp-content/plugins/wp-directory-kit) or view installed plugins in WordPress admin under Plugins > Installed Plugins
    Affected if The plugin directory exists and the plugin appears in the WordPress plugins list
  2. Check installed plugin version
    In WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and look for WP Directory Kit version number, or check the main plugin PHP file for the 'Version' header in the plugin comments
    Affected if The version is 1.4.3 or any version up to and including 1.4.3
  3. Confirm select_2_ajax function exists
    Access the plugin files via file manager or FTP, locate the file containing the select_2_ajax() function (typically in the main plugin file or an ajax-handling file) and verify the function handles the 'columns_search' parameter
    Affected if The function exists and processes the 'columns_search' parameter without prepared statements
  4. Verify endpoint is accessible without authentication
    Test accessing the AJAX endpoint that calls select_2_ajax (usually wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with action=select_2_ajax or a custom AJAX handler) without being logged in
    Affected if The endpoint responds to unauthenticated requests and accepts the 'columns_search' parameter

If WP Directory Kit version 1.4.3 or lower is installed, the select_2_ajax function handles unauthenticated requests, and the plugin is active, the environment is vulnerable to CVE-2025-13138.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update the WP Directory Kit plugin to a version newer than 1.4.3. If no patched version is available, disable the plugin until a fix is released.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Version 1.4.4 or later (verify via wordpress.org plugin repository)

  1. Navigate to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Locate WP Directory Kit
  4. Check if an update is available and install the latest version
  5. Verify the plugin has been updated to version 1.4.4 or later

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,950
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-13138 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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