CVE-2014-4852 in AtomCMS
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in admin/uploads.php in The Digital Craft AtomCMS, possibly 2.0, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the id parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/13/2025
The Digital Craft AtomCMS version 2.0 contains a critical sql injection vulnerability in the admin/uploads.php script that poses significant security risks to affected systems. This vulnerability exists due to improper input validation and sanitization of user-supplied data, specifically within the id parameter handling. The flaw allows remote attackers to inject malicious sql commands directly into the application's database layer without requiring authentication or privileged access. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects the administrative upload functionality, which typically operates with elevated privileges and can provide attackers with direct database access. This type of vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-89 which specifically addresses sql injection flaws where untrusted data is incorporated into sql queries without proper sanitization or parameterization. The attack vector is straightforward as it requires only a single parameter to be manipulated in the url, making it highly exploitable by automated scanning tools and manual attackers alike.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or modification. Attackers can leverage this weakness to execute arbitrary sql commands, potentially leading to complete database compromise, data exfiltration, and unauthorized access to sensitive information. The administrative upload functionality typically handles file uploads with associated metadata storage, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be combined with file upload exploits to achieve remote code execution. The vulnerability aligns with several techniques documented in the attack tactic and technique knowledge base including TA0006 privilege escalation and TA0002 execution phases. Successful exploitation could result in persistent backdoor access, data manipulation, and potential lateral movement within the network if the database server has access to other internal systems. The affected application likely stores user credentials, content management data, and potentially sensitive business information in the database, making the impact of successful exploitation substantial.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. The primary fix involves implementing proper parameterized queries or prepared statements throughout the application codebase, specifically in the admin/uploads.php file and related administrative components. Input validation should be strengthened to reject or sanitize any potentially malicious data before processing, with strict whitelisting of acceptable input patterns for the id parameter. The application should also implement proper output encoding and escaping mechanisms to prevent sql injection attempts from succeeding even if input filtering fails. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual database access patterns and sql injection attempts through database audit logs and intrusion detection systems. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to the principle of least privilege in application design, ensuring that administrative functions operate with minimal necessary permissions. Organizations should also implement regular security assessments and code reviews to identify similar vulnerabilities in other parts of the application or related systems. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and sql injection detection mechanisms can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that the fix does not introduce regressions in legitimate functionality while maintaining the application's core features and user experience.