SQL InjectionWeakness · CWE-89

CVE-2026-23805

HIGH · 7.6 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-02-19
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
82/100
Remediation priority · High
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
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in Yoren Chang Media Search Enhanced media-search-enhanced allows SQL Injection.This issue affects Media Search Enhanced: from n/a through <= 0.9.1.

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 confidence

SQL Injection vulnerability in the Media Search Enhanced WordPress plugin (versions <= 0.9.1) allows unauthenticated attackers to inject malicious SQL commands via unsanitized input in the search functionality. The vulnerability exists due to improper neutralization of special elements in SQL queries.

MitigationUpgrade to a patched version of Media Search Enhanced (if available) or implement input validation and parameterized queries in the search-related code to prevent SQL injection. Consider using wpdb prepare() for any remaining raw SQL queries.

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

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

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 Media Search Enhanced plugin is installed
    Check the WordPress plugins directory (wp-content/plugins/) for a folder named 'media-search-enhanced' or inspect the plugin list via wp-admin > Plugins. Also check wp-content/plugins/media-search-enhanced/ for the main plugin file.
    Affected if The plugin folder exists in wp-content/plugins/ and contains the media-search-enhanced plugin files.
  2. Determine installed plugin version
    Open the main plugin file (e.g., media-search-enhanced.php) and locate the Version header in the plugin comment block, or check the readme.txt file for the stable tag.
    Affected if The reported version number is 0.9.1 or lower (e.g., 0.9.1, 0.9.0, 0.8.x).
  3. Confirm search functionality is exposed
    Visit the site frontend and locate any search input related to media (images, attachments, library items). Test accessing common search endpoints like /?s= or any custom media search URL the plugin may register.
    Affected if A media search feature is active and accessible without authentication on the site.
  4. Verify the vulnerable code path exists
    Examine the plugin PHP files, specifically any file handling the search query (commonly in the main file or a search.php include). Look for raw SQL queries using wpdb->query, $wpdb->get_results, or similar without $wpdb->prepare() surrounding the search parameters.
    Affected if Raw SQL queries in the search handling code do not use $wpdb->prepare() or equivalent parameterized query methods, and directly incorporate user input from $_GET or $_POST parameters.

The environment is affected if the Media Search Enhanced plugin is installed with version 0.9.1 or lower AND the search functionality is accessible and uses unsanitized user input in 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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade to a patched version of Media Search Enhanced (if available) or implement input validation and parameterized queries in the search-related code to prevent SQL injection. Consider using wpdb prepare() for any remaining raw SQL queries.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,130
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2026-23805 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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