CVE-2017-17638 in Groupon Clone Script
Summary
by MITRE
Groupon Clone Script 3.01 has SQL Injection via the city_ajax.php state_id parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/06/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-17638 affects the Groupon Clone Script version 3.01, a web application designed to replicate the functionality of the popular deal aggregation platform. This particular flaw manifests as a SQL injection vulnerability within the city_ajax.php component of the application, specifically targeting the state_id parameter. The vulnerability represents a critical security weakness that could allow unauthorized individuals to manipulate the database underlying the web application through carefully crafted malicious input.
The technical implementation of this SQL injection vulnerability occurs when the application fails to properly sanitize or validate user input received through the state_id parameter in the city_ajax.php file. When a user submits data through this parameter, the web application directly incorporates this input into SQL query construction without adequate filtering or parameterization. This allows an attacker to inject malicious SQL code that can manipulate the database operations, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion. The vulnerability follows the common pattern of improper input validation where user-supplied data flows directly into database queries without proper sanitization mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data compromise, as it creates multiple attack vectors for malicious actors. An attacker could leverage this weakness to extract sensitive user information, including personal details, login credentials, or payment information stored within the application's database. The vulnerability also enables potential data manipulation attacks where attackers might alter or delete critical business data, affecting the integrity and availability of the service. Additionally, successful exploitation could provide attackers with elevated privileges within the application, potentially allowing them to gain administrative control over the system.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws in software applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under the T1190 technique for exploitation of remote services, where attackers target web application vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access. The weakness demonstrates a classic lack of input validation and output encoding practices that are fundamental to secure coding standards. Organizations utilizing this application should immediately implement proper parameterized queries, input validation, and output encoding to prevent such injection attacks from occurring. The remediation process should include comprehensive code review to identify similar vulnerabilities throughout the application and implementation of web application firewalls to provide additional protection layers against exploitation attempts.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper input validation mechanisms that reject or sanitize any input containing potentially dangerous SQL characters or sequences. The application should utilize parameterized queries or prepared statements to ensure that user input cannot alter the intended structure of SQL commands. Regular security testing including automated vulnerability scanning and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the application. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and database permissions can limit the potential damage from successful exploitation attempts, ensuring that even if an attacker gains access, they cannot perform unauthorized operations beyond the scope of their intended privileges.