CVE-2017-17603 in Advanced Real Estate Script
Summary
by MITRE
Advanced Real Estate Script 4.0.7 has SQL Injection via the search-results.php Projectmain, proj_type, searchtext, sell_price, or maxprice parameter.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/11/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-17603 affects the Advanced Real Estate Script version 4.0.7, representing a critical SQL injection flaw that undermines the application's database security. This vulnerability resides within the search-results.php endpoint and specifically targets multiple parameters including Projectmain, proj_type, searchtext, sell_price, and maxprice, making it particularly dangerous as it provides multiple attack vectors for malicious actors seeking to exploit the system's database layer.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the script's search functionality. When users submit search queries through the designated parameters, the application fails to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before incorporating it into SQL database queries. This allows attackers to inject malicious SQL code that can manipulate the database operations, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, data modification, or even complete database compromise. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-89 which categorizes SQL injection as a weakness where untrusted data is incorporated into SQL commands without proper validation or escaping mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it enables attackers to perform sophisticated database attacks including but not limited to data retrieval, modification, or deletion. An attacker could potentially extract sensitive information such as user credentials, personal data, or business-critical real estate listings from the database. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerable parameters are part of the core search functionality, meaning that any user with access to the application could potentially exploit this vulnerability without requiring elevated privileges. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.005 which describes the use of SQL injection to gain access to databases and extract sensitive information.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. The primary solution involves implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries throughout the application's database interaction code. All user-supplied parameters should undergo strict sanitization and validation before being used in any database operations, with the implementation of prepared statements or parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious database queries, along with regular security audits and penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities. Additionally, applying the latest security patches from the software vendor and implementing proper access controls to limit database access based on the principle of least privilege would significantly reduce the risk of exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in preventing database-level attacks and underscores the necessity of following secure coding practices as outlined in OWASP Top 10 and other security frameworks.