Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A specific WordPress plugin, Apptha Slider Gallery 1.0, is reported vulnerable to unauthenticated SQL injection. An attacker could target exposed sites to read sensitive database data, including credentials and password hashes. The source bundle does not show active exploitation or a confirmed vendor patch.
Executive priority
Prioritize any public WordPress site using this plugin because unauthenticated database access can expose credentials. If the plugin is absent, urgency drops sharply.
Technical view
CVE-2017-20249 is CWE-89 SQL injection in Apptha Slider Gallery 1.0. The reported attack path is unauthenticated network access through the albid parameter, allowing arbitrary SQL query execution. CVSS 4.0 is 8.8 high, with high confidentiality impact and low integrity impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to WordPress sites running Apptha Slider Gallery version 1.0, especially internet-facing sites where the vulnerable plugin route is reachable without authentication.
Exploitation context
A public ExploitDB reference exists, but the bundle marks KEV as false and provides no evidence of active exploitation. Treat this as exploitable in principle, not confirmed exploited in the wild.
Researcher notes
The bundle names only Apptha Slider Gallery 1.0 as affected. It does not provide CPEs, a fixed version, vendor advisory text, or active exploitation evidence. Avoid expanding scope beyond that product and version.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites for Apptha Slider Gallery 1.0.
- Disable or remove affected installations until vendor guidance confirms safety.
- Check Apptha, CVE, and VulnCheck for patch or replacement guidance.
- Review WordPress database users and administrator accounts for suspicious changes.
- Preserve web logs before cleanup for incident review.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether Apptha Slider Gallery is installed and identify its version.
- Review web logs for unauthenticated requests using the albid parameter.
- Compare detected versions against the CVE and VulnCheck affected version.
- Check for unexpected WordPress admin users or credential changes.
- Verify any remediation by confirming version 1.0 is no longer present.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-89: Database access and collection lookup
Injection into data stores can inform collection, data access, and exfiltration detection reviews. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupDatabase behavior lookup
The CVE wording references database injection or access, so collection and exfiltration review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2017-20249 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 8.8 (4.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
2 official scoresWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N——VulnCheckCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N3.94.2VulnCheckVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 4.0 score
8.8HighVector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Base CVSS 3.1 score
8.2HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- ExploitDB-41567CVE reference, VulnCheck · exploit
- Official Product HomepageCVE reference, VulnCheck · product
- VulnCheck Advisory: WordPress Plugin Apptha Slider Gallery 1.0 SQL InjectionCVE reference, VulnCheck · third-party-advisory
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.