CVE-2012-4927 in Limesurvey
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in Limesurvey (a.k.a PHPSurveyor) before 1.91+ Build 120224 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the fieldnames parameter to index.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-4927 represents a critical SQL injection flaw in Limesurvey, formerly known as PHPSurveyor, affecting versions prior to 1.91+ Build 120224. This vulnerability resides within the application's handling of user input through the fieldnames parameter in the index.php script, creating a pathway for remote attackers to execute malicious SQL commands against the underlying database system. The flaw demonstrates a classic lack of proper input validation and sanitization, allowing attackers to manipulate database queries through crafted malicious input.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper parameter handling within the survey application's core processing logic. When the fieldnames parameter is passed to index.php without adequate sanitization, the application directly incorporates user-supplied data into SQL query construction without proper escaping or parameterization. This design flaw aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection vulnerabilities where untrusted data is concatenated or embedded into SQL commands without proper validation or escaping mechanisms. The vulnerability enables attackers to inject malicious SQL syntax that can manipulate database operations, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations relying on Limesurvey for data collection and management. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to sensitive survey data, user information, and potentially escalate privileges within the database environment. The impact extends beyond simple data theft, as attackers could modify survey configurations, manipulate response data, or even execute administrative commands on the database server. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1071.005, which covers application layer protocol manipulation, and T1190, representing exploit for client execution through web applications. The remote nature of the attack means that no local system compromise is required, making it particularly dangerous for web-facing applications.
Organizations should immediately implement comprehensive mitigations including updating to Limesurvey version 1.91+ Build 120224 or later, which includes proper input validation and parameterized query implementations. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls should be deployed to monitor and filter suspicious SQL injection patterns. Additionally, database access controls should be reviewed to ensure least privilege principles are enforced, limiting the potential impact of successful exploitation. Regular security assessments and code reviews should focus on input validation practices, particularly for parameters that interact with database operations. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing proper security coding practices throughout the application development lifecycle. Organizations should also consider implementing database activity monitoring to detect anomalous SQL query patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.