PrettyLinks <= 3.6.20 - Authenticated (Administrator+) SQL Injection via 's' Parameter
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 3.6.21
- Affected Plugin
- PrettyLinks – Affiliate Link Management, URL Shortener, Link Cloaking, Tracking & Branded Short Links
- Affected Version
<= 3.6.20- CVSS
- 4.9Medium
- Weakness type
- CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
- CVE
CVE-2026-5062
At a glance
CVE-2026-5062 is a medium-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the PrettyLinks WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 3.6.20. It carries a CVSS score of 4.9 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Administrator level or above. The issue is fixed in version 3.6.21; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed August 2026, reported by Michael Iden (Mickhat).
Vulnerability Overview
The PrettyLinks – Affiliate Links, Link Branding, Link Tracking, Marketing and Stripe Payments Plugin plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to SQL Injection via the 's' (search) parameter on the Pretty Links listing page in all versions up to, and including, 3.6.20. This is due to insufficient escaping on the user supplied parameter and lack of sufficient preparation on the existing SQL query in the `search_links_table()` function. 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.
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.
CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
PrettyLinks <= 3.6.20 carries this weakness at search_links_table(), and reaching it takes an account at Administrator level or above. 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 PrettyLinks the fix is 3.6.21: builds <= 3.6.20 are affected, anything from 3.6.21 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 3.6.21, or a newer patched version
How WordSec helps
An attacker needs Administrator access first, so the firewall sees the attempt as traffic from a logged-in account: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: PrettyLinks 3.6.21 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Same weakness class
Other vulnerabilities in PrettyLinks – Affiliate Link Management, URL Shortener, Link Cloaking, Tracking & Branded Short Links
- 7.2CVE-2019-25147: Pretty Links <= 2.1.9 Stored Cross-Site Scripting
CVE-2019-25147 - 7.2CVE-2013-1636: Pretty Links Lite < 1.6.3 Stored Cross-Site Scripting
CVE-2013-1636 - 6.1CVE-2024-29770: Shortlinks by Pretty Links <= 3.6.2 Reflected XSS
CVE-2024-29770 - 6.1CVE-2011-4595: Pretty Links Reflected XSS
CVE-2011-4595 - 4.3CVE-2025-48247: Shortlinks by Pretty Links Missing Authorization
CVE-2025-48247 - 4.3CVE-2024-2326: Pretty Links CSRF to Plugin Settings Update
CVE-2024-2326 - 4.3CVE-2022-47149: Shortlinks by Pretty Links <= 3.4.0 CSRF
CVE-2022-47149
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