dbcve.org
SQL InjectionWeakness · CWE-89

CVE-2025-9451

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-09-11
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable 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 Smartcat Translator for WPML plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to time-based SQL Injection via the ‘orderby’ parameter in all versions up to, and including, 3.1.72 due to insufficient escaping on the user supplied parameter and lack of sufficient preparation on the existing SQL query. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Author-level access and above, 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 Smartcat Translator for WPML WordPress plugin versions up to 3.1.72 contains a time-based SQL injection vulnerability in the 'orderby' parameter. The vulnerability stems from insufficient escaping of user-supplied input combined with a lack of prepared statements in the existing SQL query, allowing authenticated attackers with Author-level or higher access to inject malicious SQL queries.

MitigationUpdate the plugin to the latest patched version once available. Until then, restrict user permissions to below Author-level and implement input validation with prepared statements for the orderby parameter.

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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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 Smartcat Translator plugin is installed
    In WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and look for 'Smartcat Translator for WPML' in the list. Note if it is active or inactive.
    Affected if The plugin is installed and active in WordPress.
  2. Check installed plugin version
    Click on the plugin name in the Plugins list to view details, or check the plugin main file header for the Version field. Compare against the affected version range (up to 3.1.72).
    Affected if The installed version is 3.1.72 or lower.
  3. Identify users with Author-level or higher access
    In WordPress admin, go to Users > All Users and review the Role column. Users with Author, Editor, or Administrator roles have the required access level for exploitation.
    Affected if There are any users with Author, Editor, or Administrator roles who can access the plugin functionality.
  4. Determine if orderby parameter is used
    Review plugin settings and any public-facing pages using the plugin's sorting functionality. Check if any frontend or admin queries utilize the 'orderby' parameter through the plugin.
    Affected if The plugin's sorting or ordering feature using the orderby parameter is accessible to authenticated users.
  5. Verify SQL query lacks prepared statements
    Examine the plugin source code, specifically files handling the orderby parameter. Look for direct SQL query construction without $wpdb->prepare() or parameterized queries in the sorting logic.
    Affected if The SQL queries handling the orderby parameter directly incorporate user input without sanitization or prepared statements.

A user is affected if the Smartcat Translator for WPML plugin version 3.1.72 or lower is active, any user with Author-level or higher access exists, and the orderby parameter functionality is in use with unsanitized SQL queries.

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 plugin to the latest patched version once available. Until then, restrict user permissions to below Author-level and implement input validation with prepared statements for the orderby parameter.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest version (newer than 3.1.72)

  1. Update the Smartcat Translator for WPML plugin to the latest available version from the WordPress plugin repository

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,420
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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-2025-9451 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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data