CVE-2016-9333 in SoftCMS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Moxa SoftCMS versions prior to Version 1.6. The SoftCMS Application does not properly sanitize input that may allow a remote attacker access to SoftCMS with administrator's privilege through specially crafted input (SQL INJECTION).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/14/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-9333 affects Moxa SoftCMS versions prior to 1.6, representing a critical SQL injection flaw that enables remote attackers to escalate privileges and gain administrative access to the affected system. This vulnerability resides within the application's input handling mechanisms, specifically in how the software processes user-supplied data without adequate sanitization measures. The flaw allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary SQL commands through carefully crafted input parameters, potentially compromising the entire system infrastructure. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection weaknesses in software applications, making it a well-documented and widely recognized security risk that has been extensively studied within the cybersecurity community.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker submits malicious input to the SoftCMS application that gets directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper validation or sanitization. This allows the attacker to manipulate the database queries and potentially execute unauthorized commands with elevated privileges. The attack vector is remote, meaning that an unauthenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability from outside the network perimeter without requiring prior access credentials. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise, including privilege escalation to administrator level access. This type of attack aligns with the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the execution of malicious code through database manipulation and unauthorized administrative access.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-9333 is severe and multifaceted, particularly for organizations relying on Moxa SoftCMS for industrial control systems or network management. A successful exploitation could result in complete system takeover, data exfiltration, and potential disruption of critical network operations. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the entire system, as attackers can manipulate database contents, modify user permissions, and potentially gain access to sensitive operational data. Organizations using affected versions of SoftCMS face significant risk of unauthorized access to their network infrastructure, which could lead to broader security incidents within their operational technology environments. The vulnerability's remote nature makes it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the target system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate patching of the affected Moxa SoftCMS versions to the recommended secure release. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to affected systems and deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious SQL injection attempts. Input validation and output encoding should be implemented as defensive measures, with proper parameterized queries used in all database interactions. The implementation of web application firewalls can provide additional protection against SQL injection attacks, while regular security audits should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regularly review user permissions to minimize the impact of potential compromise. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing comprehensive security testing procedures to prevent similar issues in the future.