CVE-2014-1618 in Shopping Cart Script
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities in UAEPD Shopping Cart Script allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the (1) cat_id or (2) p_id parameter to products.php or id parameter to (3) page.php or (4) news.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/27/2025
The CVE-2014-1618 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw affecting the UAEPD Shopping Cart Script, a web application used for e-commerce operations. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the application's database interaction mechanisms, creating pathways for malicious actors to manipulate backend database queries through carefully crafted user inputs. The vulnerability impacts multiple endpoints within the application, specifically targeting parameters that handle category identifiers, product identifiers, and page identifiers, thereby exposing core business data to unauthorized access and manipulation.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through parameter manipulation in HTTP requests sent to the affected web application. Attackers can inject malicious SQL code through the cat_id and p_id parameters in products.php, the id parameter in page.php, or the id parameter in news.php. These parameters are directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization, allowing attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms, extract sensitive data, modify database contents, or even execute administrative commands on the underlying database server. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws, and demonstrates poor input validation practices that violate secure coding principles. The attack vector operates entirely through web-based interactions, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no local system access and can be executed from any location with internet connectivity.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-1618 extends far beyond simple data theft, potentially compromising entire customer databases, financial transaction records, and sensitive business information. Successful exploitation could result in complete database compromise, allowing attackers to view, modify, or delete customer personal information, payment details, and product inventories. The vulnerability creates persistent access points for attackers to conduct extended campaigns of data exfiltration, account takeovers, and business disruption. Organizations using the UAEPD Shopping Cart Script face significant regulatory and compliance risks, as the vulnerability could lead to violations of data protection laws such as GDPR, PCI DSS, and other industry standards. The impact is particularly severe for e-commerce operations where customer trust and data integrity are paramount, potentially resulting in financial losses, legal consequences, and reputational damage.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-1618 must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. The primary solution involves implementing proper parameterized queries or prepared statements throughout the application codebase, ensuring that user inputs are never directly concatenated into SQL commands. Input validation should be strengthened at multiple layers, including client-side and server-side validation, with strict sanitization of all parameters before database interaction. The application should adopt a principle of least privilege for database connections, limiting the permissions of database accounts used by the web application. Security patches should be applied immediately if available, and organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious SQL injection attempts. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, with adherence to secure coding practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and proper database interaction patterns in preventing remote code execution and data compromise scenarios.