CVE-2016-9048 in ProcessMaker Enterprise Core
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple exploitable SQL Injection vulnerabilities exists in ProcessMaker Enterprise Core 3.0.1.7-community. Specially crafted web requests can cause SQL injections. An attacker can send a web request with parameters containing SQL injection attacks to trigger this vulnerability, potentially allowing exfiltration of the database, user credentials and in certain setups access the underlying operating system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-9048 represents a critical SQL injection flaw affecting ProcessMaker Enterprise Core 3.0.1.7-community installations. This vulnerability resides within the web application's parameter handling mechanisms, where insufficient input validation allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary SQL commands through specially crafted web requests. The flaw specifically impacts the application's database interaction layers, where user-supplied parameters are directly incorporated into SQL query constructions without proper sanitization or parameterization. This vulnerability falls under CWE-89 which classifies SQL injection as a common weakness in web applications, making it one of the most prevalent and dangerous security flaws in software systems. The attack vector leverages standard HTTP request parameters that are processed by the application's backend database connections, creating a direct pathway for unauthorized database access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data exfiltration, as it provides attackers with comprehensive access to the underlying database infrastructure. Successful exploitation enables attackers to extract sensitive information including user credentials, personal data, and potentially administrative access details stored within the database. In environments where the database server shares resources with the application server, this vulnerability could theoretically allow for privilege escalation attacks that might lead to full system compromise. The vulnerability's exploitable nature means that attackers require minimal technical expertise to leverage it effectively, as it does not require complex attack chains or specialized tools beyond standard web application penetration testing methodologies. This characteristic makes it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where ProcessMaker is used for business-critical workflow automation and document management processes.
Security practitioners should recognize this vulnerability as a high-priority issue that aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol manipulation, and T1005 for data from local system. The vulnerability's presence in a community edition of ProcessMaker indicates that organizations using this platform face significant risk without proper patch management protocols. Organizations should immediately implement network segmentation measures to limit database access, deploy web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious SQL injection patterns, and conduct thorough penetration testing to identify all potential attack vectors. Additionally, implementing proper input validation, parameterized queries, and regular security audits would significantly reduce the risk of exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping enterprise software updated, as ProcessMaker Enterprise Core 3.0.1.7-community was likely vulnerable due to missing security patches that would have addressed these input validation flaws. Organizations should also consider implementing database activity monitoring solutions to detect anomalous query patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.