CVE-2013-4720 in WEC Discussion
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in the WEC Discussion Forum extension before 2.1.2 for TYPO3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/18/2018
The CVE-2013-4720 vulnerability represents a critical sql injection flaw within the WEC Discussion Forum extension for TYPO3 platforms prior to version 2.1.2. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-89 category, which specifically addresses sql injection attacks where untrusted data is incorporated into sql commands without proper sanitization or validation. The WEC Discussion Forum extension serves as a popular community management tool within the TYPO3 content management system ecosystem, facilitating user discussions and forum interactions. The vulnerability exists in the extension's handling of user input parameters that are directly incorporated into database queries without adequate protection mechanisms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through unspecified vectors that likely involve user-controllable parameters being passed to sql queries within the forum extension's backend processing logic. Attackers can manipulate input fields such as topic identifiers, user IDs, or query parameters to inject malicious sql code that gets executed on the database server. This allows for unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion, potentially leading to complete database compromise. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it enables remote code execution capabilities through sql injection, allowing attackers to escalate privileges and gain deeper system access. The lack of proper input validation and parameter sanitization creates a direct pathway for malicious sql commands to be interpreted and executed by the database engine.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-4720 extends beyond simple data theft to encompass complete system compromise and potential service disruption. Organizations running affected TYPO3 installations with the WEC Discussion Forum extension face significant risk of unauthorized data access, including user credentials, private messages, and forum content. The vulnerability can be exploited by remote attackers without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous for publicly accessible web applications. Database administrators may experience unauthorized modifications to forum data structures, leading to data corruption or loss of critical community information. Additionally, the vulnerability can serve as a stepping stone for further attacks within the network infrastructure, as compromised forum systems often contain sensitive user information that can be leveraged for additional breaches.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-4720 primarily involve immediate patching of the WEC Discussion Forum extension to version 2.1.2 or later, which includes proper input validation and sql injection protection mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive input sanitization procedures and employ parameterized queries or prepared statements to prevent sql injection attacks. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of vulnerable systems, while regular security audits and penetration testing can help identify similar vulnerabilities in other extensions or components. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1190 technique for exploitation of remote services, emphasizing the need for robust network security measures and continuous monitoring of database activities. System administrators should also implement proper logging and alerting mechanisms to detect suspicious database access patterns and unauthorized data manipulation attempts, ensuring early detection of potential exploitation attempts.