Cyber Resilience

CVE-2018-25166

HighPublic PoC

Published: 06 March 2026

Published
06 March 2026
Modified
15 April 2026
KEV Added
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Patch
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CVSS Score v4 8.8 CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
EPSS Score 0.0023 13.9th percentile
Risk Priority 55 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2018-25166 is a high-severity SQL Injection (CWE-89) vulnerability. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked at the 13.9th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SI-10 (Information Input Validation) and SI-2 (Flaw Remediation).

Deeper analysis

CVE-2018-25166 is an SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) affecting Meneame English Pligg version 5.8. The issue occurs in the search parameter of the index.php script, where user input is not properly sanitized, enabling the injection of malicious SQL code. Published on 2026-03-06, it carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.2 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N), highlighting high confidentiality impact with low attack complexity.

Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely by sending GET requests to index.php with crafted SQL payloads in the search parameter. Successful exploitation allows execution of arbitrary SQL queries, enabling extraction of sensitive database information such as usernames, database names, and version details.

Advisories and related resources, including those at https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/meneame-english-pligg-sql-injection-via-search-parameter and https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45875, provide further details on the vulnerability, including a proof-of-concept exploit. Security practitioners should consult these for guidance on mitigation, such as upgrading affected software or implementing input validation.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A05:2025 Injection

EU & UK References

Vulnerability details

Meneame English Pligg 5.8 contains an SQL injection vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary SQL queries by injecting malicious code through the search parameter. Attackers can send GET requests to index.php with crafted SQL payloads in the search…

more

parameter to extract sensitive database information including usernames, database names, and version details.

CWE(s)
CWE-89

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI

T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
attack.mitre.org →
T1213.006 Databases Collection
Adversaries may leverage databases to mine valuable information.
attack.mitre.org →
Why these techniques?

SQL injection in public-facing web application (T1190) enables arbitrary query execution for database data extraction (T1213.006).

Confidence: HIGH · MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v19.0

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2018-25199Shared CWE-89
CVE-2026-27179Shared CWE-89
CVE-2025-0308Shared CWE-89
CVE-2019-25581Shared CWE-89
CVE-2026-27885Shared CWE-89
CVE-2019-25479Shared CWE-89
CVE-2026-1476Shared CWE-89
CVE-2019-25526Shared CWE-89
CVE-2025-69365Shared CWE-89
CVE-2019-25573Shared CWE-89

Affected Assets

Mitigating Controls

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

SI-10 Information Input Validation good match
prevent

Requires validation of the search parameter input to block malicious SQL payloads before they reach the database query.

SI-2 Flaw Remediation good match
prevent

Mandates identification, reporting, and correction of the specific SQL injection flaw in Meneame English Pligg 5.8.

RA-5 Vulnerability Monitoring and Scanning partial match
detect

Vulnerability scanning detects the SQL injection vulnerability in the index.php search parameter for remediation.

References