CVE-2008-1398 in AuraCMS
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in online.php in AuraCMS 2.0 through 2.2.1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the X-Forwarded-For field (HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR environment variable) in an HTTP header.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/19/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1398 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within AuraCMS versions 2.0 through 2.2.1, specifically targeting the online.php script. This weakness arises from insufficient input validation and sanitization of HTTP headers, particularly the X-Forwarded-For field which is commonly used to identify the original IP address of a client connecting to a web application through an HTTP proxy or load balancer. The vulnerability manifests when the application fails to properly escape or filter user-supplied data from the HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR environment variable before incorporating it into SQL query constructions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of the HTTP header field that contains IP address information, allowing attackers to inject malicious SQL code directly into the database query execution chain. This type of attack falls under CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection vulnerabilities where untrusted data is concatenated or embedded into SQL queries without proper sanitization. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database, potentially leading to complete database compromise, data exfiltration, or unauthorized access to sensitive information stored within the CMS.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation can result in full system compromise and persistent backdoor access. Attackers can leverage this weakness to escalate privileges, modify or delete database records, extract user credentials, and potentially gain administrative control over the CMS installation. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not require physical access to the system or local network presence, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous for publicly accessible web applications. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190 which describes the exploitation of vulnerabilities in web applications through injection attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching of affected AuraCMS installations to versions that properly sanitize HTTP header inputs, implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries in the application code, and configuring web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious HTTP header content. Organizations should also implement comprehensive monitoring of database activities and network traffic to detect potential exploitation attempts. The remediation process should involve thorough code review of all HTTP header processing functions, implementation of proper escape sequences for database queries, and regular security assessments to identify similar injection vulnerabilities in other components of the web application stack.