CVE-2021-24140

Ajax Load More plugin < 5.3.2 - SQL Injection

2020-05-18 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 5.3.2
Affected Plugin: Ajax Load More – Infinite Scroll, Load More, & Lazy Load
Affected Version: < 5.3.2
CVSS: 7.2High
Weakness type: CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
CVE: CVE-2021-24140

View all Ajax Load More – Infinite Scroll, Load More, & Lazy Load vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2021-24140 is a high-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the Ajax Load More WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 5.3.2. It carries a CVSS score of 7.2 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). The issue is fixed in version 5.3.2; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed May 2020, reported by Nguyen Van Khanh.

Vulnerability Overview

Unvalidated input in the Ajax Load More WordPress plugin, versions before 5.3.2, lead to SQL Injection in POST /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with param repeater=' or sleep(5)#&type=test.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.

CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')

Reaching this weakness in Ajax Load More < 5.3.2 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. SQL injection happens when request data is concatenated into a query instead of being bound as a parameter, letting an attacker change the structure of the statement rather than just its values.

A working injection can read any table the database user can see, which on a WordPress install means user records, password hashes and session or API secrets stored in options. For Ajax Load More the fix is 5.3.2: builds < 5.3.2 are affected, anything from 5.3.2 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 5.3.2, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Ajax Load More: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Ajax Load More 5.3.2 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-24140 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/20eff8fc-0572-40b9-ab28-758c7ab8ed73 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-24140

Related records

Same weakness class

7.5CVE-2026-15360: Ajax Load More <= 8.0.0 SQL InjectionCVE-2026-15360

Other vulnerabilities in Ajax Load More – Infinite Scroll, Load More, & Lazy Load

CVSS Vector

7.2

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

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredHigh
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh

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