CVE-2026-3523

CVE-2026-3523 is a medium-severity vulnerability with a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.9. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-89.

Key facts

Description

The Apocalypse Meow plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to SQL Injection via the 'type' parameter in all versions up to, and including, 22.1.0. This is due to a flawed logical operator in the type validation check on line 261 of ajax.php — the condition uses `&&` (AND) instead of `||` (OR), causing the `in_array()` validation to be short-circuited and never evaluated for any non-empty type value. Combined with `stripslashes_deep()` being called on line 101 which removes `wp_magic_quotes()` protection, attacker-controlled single quotes pass through unescaped into the SQL query on line 298. 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.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-3523?
The Apocalypse Meow plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to SQL Injection via the 'type' parameter in all versions up to, and including, 22.1.0. This is due to a flawed logical operator in the type validation check on line 261 of ajax.php — the condition uses `&&` (AND) instead of `||` (OR), causing the `in_array()` validation to be short-circuited and never evaluated for any non-empty type value. Combined with `stripslashes_deep()` being called on line 101 which removes `wp_magic_quotes()` protection, attacker-controlled single quotes pass through unescaped into the SQL query on line 298. 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.
How severe is CVE-2026-3523?
CVE-2026-3523 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2026-3523 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (36th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2026-3523?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2026-3523 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2026-3523 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-9527.
When was CVE-2026-3523 published?
CVE-2026-3523 was published on 2026-03-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Other CWE-89 (SQL Injection) vulnerabilities

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