CVE-2002-2176 in Gender MOD
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in Gender MOD 1.1.3 allows remote attackers to gain administrative access via the user_level parameter in the User Profile page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-2176 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the Gender MOD 1.1.3 component of a web application. This vulnerability specifically affects the User Profile page functionality where the user_level parameter is processed without adequate input validation or sanitization. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate database queries through crafted input, potentially leading to unauthorized administrative access. The vulnerability stems from insufficient parameter handling mechanisms that fail to properly escape or validate user-supplied data before incorporating it into database operations.
This SQL injection vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be classified under CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection weaknesses. The attack vector involves sending malicious input through the user_level parameter, which is then directly incorporated into SQL query construction without proper sanitization. The vulnerability exploits the fundamental lack of input validation and output encoding practices that are essential for preventing malicious data injection into database operations. Attackers can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary SQL commands, potentially extracting sensitive information, modifying database contents, or escalating privileges within the application's user management system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it directly compromises the integrity and confidentiality of the application's user management functionality. Remote attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can assume administrative privileges, gaining unrestricted access to sensitive user data, modifying user permissions, and potentially controlling the entire user profile management system. This represents a significant escalation from a simple privilege escalation to full administrative control, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for Valid Accounts and T1046 for Network Service Scanning. The vulnerability affects not only individual user accounts but also the overall security posture of the web application, potentially allowing attackers to establish persistent access and conduct further reconnaissance or attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. The primary solution involves implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries to prevent user-supplied data from being interpreted as SQL commands. This includes using prepared statements or parameterized queries throughout the application codebase, particularly in areas handling user_level parameters. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and privilege separation ensures that even if an attacker gains access to a user account, they cannot escalate to administrative privileges without additional authentication mechanisms. The implementation of web application firewalls and input sanitization filters can provide additional layers of protection against similar injection attacks. Security patches should be applied immediately to update the Gender MOD component to versions that address this vulnerability, following the principle of least privilege for database connections and implementing proper error handling that does not expose database structure information to end users.