CVE-2009-2019 in Virtue News Manager
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in news_detail.php in Virtue News Manager allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the nid parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-2019 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the Virtue News Manager web application, specifically affecting the news_detail.php script. This vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and sanitization of user-supplied data, creating an exploitable entry point for malicious actors to manipulate the underlying database queries. The flaw is particularly dangerous as it allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands directly through the nid parameter, which serves as the identifier for news items within the application's content management system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly escape or validate user input before incorporating it into SQL database queries. When a user requests a specific news item, the nid parameter is directly concatenated into the SQL statement without appropriate sanitization measures. This creates a classic SQL injection scenario where an attacker can craft malicious input that alters the intended query structure, potentially gaining unauthorized access to database contents, modifying data, or even executing system commands depending on the database backend and application configuration. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands, and represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's data validation and query construction processes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it provides attackers with significant control over the application's database infrastructure. Remote attackers can potentially extract sensitive information including user credentials, personal data, and administrative details stored within the database. The vulnerability enables privilege escalation attacks where malicious users might gain administrative access to the news manager system, leading to complete compromise of the affected web application. Additionally, attackers can modify or delete news content, potentially causing reputational damage and disrupting business operations. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application and T1071.004 - Application Layer Protocol: DNS, as attackers can leverage this weakness to establish persistent access and exfiltrate data through the compromised application interface.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-2019 require immediate implementation of proper input validation and parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection attacks. Organizations should implement prepared statements or parameterized queries throughout the application codebase to ensure that user input cannot alter the structure of SQL commands. Input sanitization measures including character escaping, length validation, and whitelist validation should be enforced for all parameters, particularly those used in database operations. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities across the entire application stack. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection, while implementing proper access controls and least privilege principles can limit the potential damage from successful exploitation. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of keeping web applications updated with the latest security patches and following secure coding practices that align with industry standards such as OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity guidelines.