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CVE-2022-21661 - WordPress Core

CVE-2022-21661

WordPress is a free and open-source content management system written in PHP and paired with a MariaDB database. Due to improper sanitization in WP_Query, there can be cases where SQL injection is possible through plugins or themes that use it in a certain way. This has been patched in WordPress version 5.8.3. Older affected versions are also fixed via security release, that go back till 3.7.37. We strongly recommend that you keep auto-updates enabled. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

CVE-2022-21661

HIGH CVSS 8.0 Published 2022-01-06 Updated 2025-08-19
AI Risk Critical (100/100) Active Exploit: Likely Published Exploit: Public exploit references found Priority: P1 Immediate
Severity Band HIGH
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Affected Components 1
Reference Links 10
AI Risk Engine Critical (100/100)
Exploitability High
Active Exploitation Likely
Published Exploit Status Public exploit references found

Threat Timeline

  1. 2022-01-06 CVE published and first recorded in the threat feed.
  2. 2025-08-19 Record updated with latest vulnerability metadata.
  3. 2026-04-09 AI technical context refreshed for mitigation and impact guidance.
  4. Now Monitoring for follow-up changes, linked references, and new related CVEs.

AI Context

Machine-generated threat intelligence

AI Updated 7 days ago

AI enriched 7 days ago (2026-04-09 10:31 UTC)

Technical Summary

WordPress is a free and open-source content management system written in PHP and paired with a MariaDB database. Due to improper sanitization in WP_Query, there can be cases where SQL injection is possible through plugins or themes that use it in a certain way. This has been patched in WordPress version 5.8.3. Older affected versions are also fixed via security release, that go back till 3.7.37. We strongly recommend that you keep auto-updates enabled. There are no known workarounds for…

Potential Impact

Severity is HIGH (CVSS 8.0). Depending on deployment context, affected components may be exposed to unauthorized actions or data integrity risk.

Exploitability Assessment

Exploitability is assessed as High based on published exploit references, remote code execution potential.

Primary risk drivers: published exploit references, remote code execution potential

Mitigation Recommendations

Validate affected product versions, prioritize patching, and monitor references for vendor remediation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, apply compensating controls and limit exposure of vulnerable surfaces.

Detection & Monitoring

Track authentication anomalies, unexpected file writes, and suspicious plugin API activity around affected components.

Business Impact Lens

Prioritize remediation where affected components process customer data, admin sessions, or Internet-exposed workflows.

Affected Products

WordPress Core CORE · wordpress Affected: >= 3.7, < 3.7.37 Fixed in: 3.7.37

References

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