Overview
A serious vulnerability, CVE-2025-52717, has been identified in the LifterLMS plugin developed by Chris Badgett, which could potentially lead to system compromise or data leakage. This vulnerability has been classified under the category of SQL Injection, meaning it allows an attacker to manipulate the structure of SQL queries in a way that can lead to unauthorized access to or manipulation of data. It is an issue of significant concern as it affects all versions of the LifterLMS plugin up to 8.0.6, a popular tool used by numerous content creators and educational institutions.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-52717
Severity: Critical (9.3 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: System Compromise, Data Leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
LifterLMS | Up to 8.0.6
How the Exploit Works
The core of this exploit lies in the improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command within the LifterLMS plugin. A bad actor can take advantage of this vulnerability by crafting an SQL query with malicious intent, which could then be executed by the database. This allows the attacker to manipulate data, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive information, or even take control of the system.
Conceptual Example Code
Here is a conceptual example of how this vulnerability might be exploited:
POST /lms/login HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
username=' OR '1'='1'; DROP TABLE users; -- &password=testIn this example, the attacker injects a malicious SQL command into the username field of the login form. The injected command (‘ OR ‘1’=’1′; DROP TABLE users; –) is designed to always evaluate as true (‘ OR ‘1’=’1′) and then execute a harmful action (DROP TABLE users), which would delete the users table from the database.
Mitigation Guidance
To mitigate this vulnerability, it is recommended to apply the vendor patch as soon as it is available. In the interim, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can offer temporary mitigation against potential attacks exploiting this vulnerability.