CMSsite 1.0 SQL Injection Vulnerability (CVE-2019-25697)

CMSsite 1.0 is susceptible to an SQL injection vulnerability (CVE-2019-25697) within the category.php script. This flaw allows unauthenticated, remote attackers to inject arbitrary SQL commands by manipulating the cat_id GET parameter. Successful exploitation could lead to the disclosure of sensitive information stored within the database, including user credentials and other application data. Given the ease of exploitation and the potential impact, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations using the affected CMSsite version. The vulnerability was reported to NVD and assigned a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.2, indicating high severity.

Attack Chain

1. The attacker identifies a CMSsite 1.0 installation.
2. The attacker crafts a malicious HTTP GET request targeting category.php.
3. The attacker injects SQL code into the cat_id parameter of the GET request, for example: category.php?cat_id=1' OR '1'='1.
4. The web server processes the request and passes the tainted cat_id value to the underlying SQL database.
5. The injected SQL code manipulates the database query, potentially bypassing intended security checks.
6. The database executes the modified query, returning sensitive data to the web server.
7. The web server includes the extracted data in the HTTP response.
8. The attacker parses the HTTP response to extract sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, or other confidential data.

Impact

Successful exploitation of this SQL injection vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker to read sensitive information from the CMSsite 1.0 database. This can lead to complete compromise of the application, including unauthorized access to user accounts, exposure of confidential data, and potential further attacks on the underlying system. Given the lack of required authentication, any CMSsite 1.0 instance exposed to the internet is a potential target.

Recommendation

• Apply appropriate input validation and sanitization to the cat_id parameter in category.php to prevent SQL injection.
• Deploy the Sigma rule “Detect Suspicious GET Requests to category.php with SQL Injection Attempts” to identify exploitation attempts in web server logs.
• Restrict database access privileges to the minimum necessary for the application to function.
• Consider upgrading to a more secure CMS solution or applying a patch if one becomes available.
• Enable web server logging and monitor for unusual activity, paying close attention to GET requests targeting category.php.
• Implement parameterized queries or prepared statements to prevent SQL injection vulnerabilities when interacting with the database.