Attack Chain

1. The attacker identifies the ‘searched’ parameter in the search.php script as a potential injection point.
2. The attacker crafts a malicious GET request targeting search.php with a SQL payload embedded in the ‘searched’ parameter. For example: search.php?searched=test'+OR+SLEEP(5)+--.
3. The web server processes the request and executes the SQL query with the injected payload against the database.
4. Due to the time-based nature of the injection, the attacker observes the response time of the server.
5. If the injected SQL payload includes a SLEEP() function, the server will pause for the specified duration.
6. By analyzing the response times, the attacker can infer the results of conditional SQL queries (e.g., checking database version, table names, or data).
7. The attacker iteratively refines their SQL injection payload to extract specific data from the database, such as usernames, passwords, or product details.
8. Finally, the attacker exfiltrates the sensitive data obtained through the SQL injection vulnerability.

Impact

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to access sensitive data stored in the Smartshop 1 database. This may include customer information, product details, system configurations, and other confidential data. The vulnerability affects all installations of Smartshop 1 that do not have adequate input validation or parameterized queries implemented. The impact could lead to data breaches, financial losses, reputational damage, and potential legal liabilities for the affected organization.

Recommendation

• Deploy the Sigma rule Detect Smartshop Time-Based SQL Injection Attempt to identify potential exploitation attempts based on the presence of SLEEP() functions or similar time-delaying SQL commands in web requests targeting search.php.
• Apply input validation and sanitization to the ‘searched’ parameter in search.php to prevent SQL injection attacks. Consider using parameterized queries or prepared statements to mitigate the risk.
• Upgrade to a patched version of Smartshop that addresses CVE-2018-25342 or implement a web application firewall (WAF) rule to filter out malicious SQL payloads in HTTP requests.
• Monitor web server logs for suspicious activity, such as unusual HTTP requests targeting search.php or error messages indicating SQL injection attempts. Enable webserver logging to activate the rules above.