Apocalypse Meow <= 22.1.0 - Authenticated (Administrator+) SQL Injection via 'type' Parameter
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- SQL injection
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · None · None
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-89.
Summary
The Apocalypse Meow plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to SQL Injection via the 'type' parameter in all versions up to, and including, 22.1.0. This is due to a flawed logical operator in the type validation check on line 261 of ajax.php — the condition uses `&&` (AND) instead of `||` (OR), causing the `in_array()` validation to be short-circuited and never evaluated for any non-empty type value. Combined with `stripslashes_deep()` being called on line 101 which removes `wp_magic_quotes()` protection, attacker-controlled single quotes pass through unescaped into the SQL query on line 298. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Administrator-level access and above, to append additional SQL queries into already existing queries that can be used to extract sensitive information from the database.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-3523
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-3887-vhg9-78qg
References
Other 10
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/a1af9757-23e9-41d2-bbcd-15b0610b6538?source=cve
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/apocalypse-meow/trunk/lib/blobfolio/wp/meow/ajax.php#L298
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/apocalypse-meow/tags/22.1.0/lib/blobfolio/wp/meow/ajax.php#L298
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/apocalypse-meow/trunk/lib/blobfolio/wp/meow/ajax.php#L261
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/apocalypse-meow/tags/22.1.0/lib/blobfolio/wp/meow/ajax.php#L261
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/apocalypse-meow/trunk/lib/blobfolio/wp/meow/ajax.php#L101
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/apocalypse-meow/tags/22.1.0/lib/blobfolio/wp/meow/ajax.php#L101
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/apocalypse-meow/trunk/lib/blobfolio/wp/meow/ajax.php#L167
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/apocalypse-meow/tags/22.1.0/lib/blobfolio/wp/meow/ajax.php#L167
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&old=3448958%40apocalypse-meow&new=3448958%40apocalypse-meow&sfp_email=&sfph_mail=
Sources
- CVE-2026-3523 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-3523 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-3887-vhg9-78qg · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences