CVE-2014-4858 in Crew Operations
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities in CWPLogin.aspx in Sabre AirCentre Crew products 2010.2.12.20008 and earlier allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the (1) username or (2) password field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-4858 represents a critical security flaw in the Sabre AirCentre Crew products version 2010.2.12.20008 and earlier, specifically within the CWPLogin.aspx component. This issue manifests as multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities that enable remote attackers to manipulate the underlying database through carefully crafted input parameters. The affected application interfaces directly with database systems to authenticate user credentials, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could potentially allow unauthorized access to sensitive operational data. The vulnerability affects the authentication mechanism by failing to properly sanitize user inputs before incorporating them into SQL queries, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject arbitrary SQL commands that execute within the database context.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of the username or password fields during the login process. When users enter credentials into the login form, the application does not implement proper input validation or parameterized query construction, allowing attackers to inject malicious SQL syntax. This injection can occur in either field and typically involves appending SQL commands that bypass authentication checks or directly execute database operations. The flaw stems from inadequate input sanitization and improper handling of user-supplied data within the application's database interaction layer, which violates fundamental security principles of input validation and secure coding practices. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-89, which categorizes SQL injection as a common weakness in software applications where untrusted data is incorporated into SQL queries without proper escaping or parameterization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple authentication bypass, as successful exploitation could lead to complete database compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive passenger information, flight data, and crew management systems. Attackers could potentially extract confidential data, modify user accounts, or even escalate privileges within the application environment. The distributed nature of Sabre AirCentre Crew products means that exploitation could affect multiple systems across different operational units, potentially compromising the integrity of air travel operations. This vulnerability represents a significant risk to aviation security infrastructure and could be exploited by threat actors to gain unauthorized access to critical transportation systems. The impact aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190, which describes the exploitation of vulnerabilities in remote services to gain initial access to systems, and T1078, which covers legitimate credentials usage for persistence and privilege escalation.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection attacks. The recommended approach involves upgrading to the latest version of Sabre AirCentre Crew products where the vulnerability has been patched, implementing proper input sanitization mechanisms, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious SQL injection attempts. Additionally, database access controls should be reviewed to ensure least privilege principles are applied, and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive logging and monitoring of authentication attempts to detect potential exploitation attempts, while also implementing proper error handling that prevents attackers from gaining information about the underlying database structure through error messages.