CVE-2017-14508 in SugarCRM
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in SugarCRM before 7.7.2.3, 7.8.x before 7.8.2.2, and 7.9.x before 7.9.2.0 (and Sugar Community Edition 6.5.26). Several areas have been identified in the Documents and Emails module that could allow an authenticated user to perform SQL injection, as demonstrated by a backslash character at the end of a bean_id to modules/Emails/DetailView.php. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by sending a crafted SQL request to the affected areas. An exploit could allow the attacker to modify the SQL database. Proper SQL escaping has been added to prevent such exploits.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/29/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-14508 represents a critical SQL injection flaw affecting multiple versions of SugarCRM including 7.7.2.3, 7.8.2.2, and 7.9.2.0 releases along with Sugar Community Edition 6.5.26. This vulnerability specifically targets the Documents and Emails module within the SugarCRM platform, where insufficient input validation allows authenticated users to manipulate database queries through carefully crafted payloads. The issue manifests when a backslash character is appended to a bean_id parameter in the modules/Emails/DetailView.php endpoint, creating an exploitable condition that bypasses normal security controls. The vulnerability falls under CWE-89 which categorizes SQL injection as a widespread and dangerous class of vulnerabilities that allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands against database systems.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an authenticated user account within the SugarCRM system, which significantly reduces the attack surface compared to unauthenticated exploits. However, this authentication requirement does not mitigate the severity of potential damage since authenticated users with sufficient privileges can execute malicious SQL commands that may lead to data manipulation, unauthorized access to sensitive information, or even complete database compromise. The attack vector specifically targets the DetailView.php endpoint where the bean_id parameter is processed without proper sanitization, allowing an attacker to inject malicious SQL code that gets executed against the underlying database. This type of injection attack can potentially result in data exfiltration, data modification, or privilege escalation within the database environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-14508 extends beyond simple data corruption as it enables attackers to perform unauthorized modifications to the SugarCRM database structure and content. Attackers could potentially extract sensitive customer data, modify existing records, create new database entries, or even delete critical information within the CRM system. The vulnerability's presence in multiple version streams including community editions indicates a widespread exposure across different deployment scenarios, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that have not yet applied the necessary security patches. Organizations using affected versions face significant risk of data breaches and compliance violations, especially in regulated environments where customer data protection is paramount. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 which describes application layer protocol manipulation, specifically targeting web application vulnerabilities through SQL injection methods.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patch application to the affected SugarCRM versions, with administrators upgrading to the patched releases 7.7.2.3, 7.8.2.2, and 7.9.2.0 respectively. Beyond patching, organizations should implement additional security controls including input validation, parameterized queries, and regular security assessments of their CRM systems. Database access controls should be reviewed to ensure least privilege principles are maintained, and monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual database activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The fix implemented by SugarCRM addresses the root cause by adding proper SQL escaping mechanisms to prevent malicious input from being interpreted as SQL commands. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and database activity monitoring solutions to provide additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities in the future. Organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of their entire application stack to identify and remediate other potential injection flaws that may exist within their CRM infrastructure or related systems.