# CVE-2020-8596: SQL injection in n/a

> Attackers can exploit SQL injection in the Participants Database plugin to exfiltrate data and potentially execute code.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 10 Feb 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xw39-q6xj-4gq5

## What is CVE-2020-8596?

CVE-2020-8596 is a high-severity SQL injection vulnerability in n/a, published on 10 Feb 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

participants-database.php in the Participants Database plugin 1.9.5.5 and previous versions for WordPress has a time-based SQL injection vulnerability via the ascdesc, list_filter_count, or sortBy parameters. It is possible to exfiltrate data and potentially execute code (if certain conditions are met).

Weakness: CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-8596?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Xnau Participants Database.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-8596?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-8596 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-8596 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-8596 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2014-3961](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-3961/): SQL injection in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2017-14126](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-14126/): Cross-site scripting in n/a (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2023-31235](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-31235/): WordPress Participants Database Plugin <= 2.4.9 is vulnerable to Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) (medium 5.4)
- [CVE-2023-48751](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-48751/): WordPress Participants Database Plugin <= 2.5.5 is vulnerable to Broken Access Control (medium 4.3)
- [CVE-2022-47612](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-47612/): WordPress Participants Database Plugin <= 2.4.5 is vulnerable to Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) (medium 4.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-8596 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-8596 is a high-severity SQL injection vulnerability in n/a, published on 10 Feb 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-8596 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8596/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8596/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-8596
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-8596
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-8596

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8596/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.