Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Survey Maker for WordPress had an authenticated blind SQL injection issue before version 1.5.6. A logged-in user with access to the affected admin dashboard paths could potentially influence database queries through an unsafe sorting parameter. The public sources do not provide a severity score or confirm active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a bounded but real WordPress data-risk issue. Prioritize sites where Survey Maker is internet-facing and many users can log in. The absence of KEV or CVSS data lowers certainty, not the need to patch outdated plugins.
Technical view
The get_results() and get_items() functions failed to whitelist or validate the orderby parameter before using it in SQL passed to get_results() database calls. This is CWE-89 SQL injection and is described as authenticated and blind, affecting Survey Maker versions before 1.5.6.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on WordPress sites running the Ays Pro Survey Maker plugin before 1.5.6, especially where untrusted or less-trusted users can authenticate and access relevant admin dashboard functionality.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing, public active exploitation, exploit maturity, or required WordPress role details. The issue is authenticated, so credential access is a prerequisite based on available evidence.
Researcher notes
Key uncertainty is authorization scope: the bundle says authenticated and admin dashboard but does not specify the minimum role. Validate exposure by plugin version and reachable dashboard functionality, without assuming unauthenticated exploitability or confirmed in-the-wild attacks.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites for the Survey Maker plugin and installed version.
- Upgrade Survey Maker to version 1.5.6 or later.
- Review vendor and WPScan guidance for any additional fixed-version details.
- Restrict admin dashboard access to trusted users only.
- Monitor logs for suspicious authenticated dashboard activity.
Validation and detection
- Confirm Survey Maker is not installed, or is version 1.5.6 or later.
- Check WordPress user roles with dashboard access to survey results or items.
- Review vulnerability scanner results against CVE-2021-24459 or the WPScan advisory.
- Verify no unsupported plugin copies remain in staging or backups exposed online.
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-2021-24459 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
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
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 and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/3fafbec0-55e4-41cf-8402-1b57b6615225CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
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.