CVE-2017-17870 in JBuildozer Extension
Summary
by MITRE
The JBuildozer extension 1.4.1 for Joomla! has SQL Injection via the appid parameter in an entriessearch action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/07/2025
The CVE-2017-17870 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the JBuildozer extension version 1.4.1 for Joomla installation. Such vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous as they can provide attackers with unauthorized access to sensitive data, including user credentials, database schemas, and other confidential information stored within the application's backend systems.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows standard SQL injection attack patterns where an attacker crafts malicious input containing SQL payload within the appid parameter. When the vulnerable extension processes this parameter without proper sanitization, the injected SQL commands are executed with the privileges of the database user account under which the Joomla! application operates. This can lead to complete database compromise, data exfiltration, and potentially full system compromise depending on the database user permissions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection weaknesses in software applications, and represents a classic example of insufficient input validation that violates secure coding practices outlined in industry standards. Attackers can leverage this flaw to perform unauthorized database operations including SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE commands, potentially leading to data manipulation or complete database destruction.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-17870 extends beyond immediate data compromise to encompass broader security implications for Joomla sites that handle sensitive information, as the vulnerability can be exploited through standard web application attacks without requiring advanced technical knowledge or specialized infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-17870 must focus on immediate remediation through patching the vulnerable JBuildozer extension to version 1.4.2 or later, which contains the necessary input sanitization fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation at multiple layers including application-level parameter sanitization, database query parameterization, and web application firewall rules that can detect and block malicious SQL injection patterns. Network-level protections such as IDS/IPS signatures specifically targeting SQL injection attacks should be deployed to monitor for exploitation attempts. Additionally, security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of all Joomla! installations to identify other potentially vulnerable extensions and ensure proper input validation practices are implemented across all application components. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be performed to identify similar vulnerabilities in other software components, while implementing the principle of least privilege for database accounts to limit the potential damage from successful exploitation attempts.