CVE-2009-4940 in Zeuscart
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in index.php in Zeus Cart 2.3 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the maincatid parameter in a showmaincatlanding action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/30/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-4940 represents a critical sql injection flaw in the Zeus Cart e-commerce platform version 2.3 and earlier. This vulnerability specifically affects the index.php script and manifests through the maincatid parameter when processing showmaincatlanding actions. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject malicious sql commands directly into the application's database layer without requiring authentication or administrative privileges. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization of user-supplied data, allowing attackers to manipulate the sql query execution flow and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or system resources.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the application fails to properly escape or validate the maincatid parameter before incorporating it into sql queries. This parameter is processed within the showmaincatlanding action context, where user input directly influences the sql statement construction. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that append additional sql commands to the original query, potentially leading to data extraction, modification, or deletion. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89 sql injection weakness classification and follows common attack patterns documented in the mitre attack framework under the execution and privilege escalation domains.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable complete system compromise through various attack vectors. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to extract customer information, financial data, and administrative credentials stored in the database. The vulnerability also poses risks for data integrity attacks where malicious commands can modify or delete critical business information. Additionally, the exposure of underlying database structures can facilitate further attacks such as privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network infrastructure. Organizations using affected versions of Zeus Cart face significant risks including regulatory compliance violations, financial losses, and reputational damage.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-4940 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected Zeus Cart versions to the latest available releases that contain proper input validation and sanitization measures. Organizations should implement proper parameterized queries or prepared statements to prevent sql injection attacks at the application level. Input validation should be strengthened to reject or sanitize any non-alphanumeric characters in the maincatid parameter, particularly focusing on sql metacharacters and keywords. Network segmentation and firewall rules can help limit access to vulnerable applications, while web application firewalls should be configured to detect and block suspicious sql injection patterns. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications and ensure proper sql injection prevention mechanisms are in place across the entire infrastructure.