CVE-2015-4676 in TickFa
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in ticket.php in TickFa 1.x allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the tid parameter in a read action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/21/2022
The CVE-2015-4676 vulnerability represents a critical sql injection flaw within the TickFa 1.x ticket management system that exposes remote authenticated users to arbitrary code execution capabilities. This vulnerability specifically targets the ticket.php script where the tid parameter in the read action is improperly validated and sanitized, creating a direct pathway for malicious actors to manipulate database queries. The vulnerability exists in the application's input handling mechanism where user-supplied data flows directly into sql statements without adequate sanitization or parameterization, violating fundamental security principles for data validation and query construction.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a well-established sql injection pattern where an attacker with valid authentication credentials can manipulate the tid parameter to inject malicious sql payloads. When the application processes the tid parameter in the read action, it constructs sql queries that incorporate the user input directly into the query structure. This design flaw allows attackers to append sql commands that can bypass authentication, extract sensitive data, modify database records, or even execute system commands depending on the underlying database system and permissions. The vulnerability is classified as a cwe-89 sql injection weakness that directly maps to the attack pattern described in the attack tree methodology under the mitre attack framework.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to organizations using TickFa 1.x systems as it requires only authenticated access to exploit, significantly reducing the attack surface compared to unauthenticated vulnerabilities. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to include complete system compromise, as attackers can leverage the sql injection to escalate privileges, access sensitive user information, modify ticket records, and potentially gain deeper access to the underlying infrastructure. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the ticketing system, potentially exposing sensitive business data and compromising the trustworthiness of the application's data handling processes.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and parameterized queries to prevent sql injection attacks. The recommended remediation involves implementing proper input sanitization techniques, utilizing prepared statements with parameterized queries, and implementing proper access controls to limit the impact of potential exploitation. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The fix should follow the principle of least privilege where database connections use restricted permissions and application code implements proper input validation at multiple layers. Security teams should also monitor for exploitation attempts through log analysis and implement web application firewalls to detect and block malicious sql injection patterns. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and demonstrates how even authenticated access can lead to critical system compromise when proper input validation is absent.