Quiz and Survey Master (QSM) <= 10.3.5 - Authenticated (Contributor+) SQL Injection via 'merged_question' Parameter

2026-03-23 10:09
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Strategic Overview

Vulnerability Overview

The Quiz and Survey Master (QSM) plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to SQL Injection via the 'merged_question' parameter in all versions up to, and including, 10.3.5. This is due to insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input before being used in a SQL query. The sanitize_text_field() function applied to the merged_question parameter does not prevent SQL metacharacters like ), OR, AND, and # from being included in the value, which is then directly concatenated into a SQL IN() clause without using $wpdb->prepare() or casting values to integers. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-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

REMEDIATION: Update to version 11.0.0, or a newer patched version --- IDENTIFIER: CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')) The product constructs all or part of an SQL command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended SQL command when it is sent to a downstream component. Without sufficient removal or quoting of SQL syntax in user-controllable inputs, the generated SQL query can cause those inputs to be interpreted as SQL instead of ordinary user data.

External References

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