CVE-2009-2017 in Virtue Book Store
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in products.php in Virtue Book Store allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the cid parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-2017 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the Virtue Book Store e-commerce platform, specifically affecting the products.php script. This vulnerability resides in the handling of the cid parameter which is used to filter product categories within the application's database queries. The flaw allows remote attackers to manipulate the SQL query execution by injecting malicious SQL code through the cid parameter, potentially gaining unauthorized access to the underlying database system. The vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive data stored within the application's database, including customer information, product catalogs, and potentially financial transaction details. The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental lack of input validation and proper parameter sanitization within the application's backend processing logic, creating a pathway for attackers to bypass normal authentication mechanisms and execute unauthorized database operations.
The technical implementation of this SQL injection vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly escape or validate user-supplied input before incorporating it into database queries. When the cid parameter is processed in products.php, the application directly concatenates user input into SQL command strings without adequate sanitization measures. This design flaw aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection vulnerabilities where untrusted data is incorporated into SQL queries without proper escaping or parameterization. The vulnerability exists at the intersection of poor input validation and inadequate output encoding, creating a condition where attacker-controlled data can alter the intended structure of SQL statements. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious input that terminates the existing SQL query and appends their own commands, potentially enabling data extraction, modification, or deletion operations within the database.
The operational impact of CVE-2009-2017 extends beyond simple data theft to encompass complete system compromise and business disruption. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to extract sensitive customer information including names, addresses, and potentially credit card details stored within the database. The vulnerability also enables attackers to modify or delete product catalog data, potentially causing financial loss and reputational damage to the organization. Additionally, attackers could use this vulnerability as a foothold for further attacks within the network infrastructure, particularly if the database server shares resources with other critical systems. The remote nature of this vulnerability means that attackers can exploit it from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the system, making it particularly dangerous for e-commerce platforms that handle sensitive financial and personal data. This vulnerability directly maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1071.005 for application layer protocol usage and T1190 for exploitation of remote services, highlighting the multi-faceted nature of the threat.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-2017 must focus on implementing proper input validation and parameterized query execution throughout the application's codebase. Organizations should immediately implement prepared statements or parameterized queries to ensure that user input is properly separated from SQL command structures, effectively neutralizing the injection attack vector. Input validation should include strict type checking and length restrictions on the cid parameter to prevent malicious data from being processed. The application should also implement proper error handling that does not expose database structure information to end users, as this information can aid attackers in crafting more sophisticated attacks. Security patches should be applied immediately to update the Virtue Book Store software to versions that address this vulnerability, as the original codebase likely contains multiple similar issues due to the lack of proper security controls. Network-level protections including web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional layers of defense, while regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The implementation of principle of least privilege for database accounts and regular database access logging will also help detect and prevent unauthorized database operations resulting from such vulnerabilities.