CVE-2017-11471 in Uptime Monitor
Summary
by MITRE
IDERA Uptime Monitor 7.8 has SQL injection in /gadgets/definitions/uptime.CapacityWhatIfGadget/getmetrics.php via the element parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/30/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-11471 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within IDERA Uptime Monitor version 7.8, specifically affecting the web application's gadget component. This issue resides in the /gadgets/definitions/uptime.CapacityWhatIfGadget/getmetrics.php endpoint where user-supplied input is inadequately sanitized before being incorporated into database queries. The vulnerability is triggered through the element parameter which serves as an entry point for malicious SQL commands to be executed against the underlying database system. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-89, which defines SQL injection as the insertion of malicious SQL code into input fields for execution by the database engine. This vulnerability falls under the broader category of insecure data handling practices that have been consistently documented in industry security frameworks and represents a significant risk to database confidentiality and integrity.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to craft malicious input through the element parameter that will be processed by the vulnerable PHP script. When the application fails to properly escape or parameterize the user input, the SQL query structure becomes vulnerable to manipulation. Attackers can leverage this weakness to execute arbitrary SQL commands, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data, modifying database contents, or even escalating privileges within the system. The impact extends beyond simple data theft as the attacker may be able to extract complete database schemas, user credentials, or other confidential information stored within the monitored environment. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in monitoring systems where the database often contains critical infrastructure information and operational data that security teams rely upon for system health assessment.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-11471 in IDERA Uptime Monitor creates substantial risk for organizations that depend on this monitoring solution for infrastructure management. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication, making it particularly attractive to threat actors seeking to compromise monitoring systems that are often overlooked in security assessments. Once exploited, attackers can potentially gain access to detailed information about system capacity, performance metrics, and infrastructure configurations that would normally be restricted to authorized personnel only. This access could enable sophisticated attacks such as privilege escalation, data exfiltration, or even the deployment of additional malicious tools within the monitored environment. The vulnerability also represents a potential vector for lateral movement within networks where monitoring systems often have elevated privileges and access to critical infrastructure components.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and parameterized query execution to prevent SQL injection attacks. The recommended approach involves applying the vendor-provided patch or upgrade to a version that addresses this specific vulnerability, as IDERA has likely released security updates to resolve the issue. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and input sanitization measures can provide additional defense in depth. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their monitoring infrastructure to identify similar weaknesses in other components. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques such as T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) as attackers may leverage compromised monitoring systems to maintain persistence and access to network resources. Regular security testing and proper application security development practices including input validation and output encoding should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future deployments.