CVE-2017-18346 in CMS Web-Gooroo
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in /wbg/core/_includes/authorization.inc.php in CMS Web-Gooroo through 2013-01-19 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the wbg_login parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/19/2020
The CVE-2017-18346 vulnerability represents a critical sql injection flaw within the CMS Web-Gooroo platform, specifically targeting the authorization.inc.php file in the core/_includes directory. This vulnerability affects versions of the CMS up to and including the 2013-01-19 release, making it a legacy security issue that has persisted for over a decade. The flaw manifests through the wbg_login parameter which is processed without adequate input sanitization or parameter validation, creating an exploitable entry point for malicious actors seeking to compromise the system's database layer.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of user-supplied input within the authorization workflow. When the wbg_login parameter is submitted through the web interface, the application fails to properly escape or validate the input before incorporating it into sql query construction. This lack of input sanitization allows attackers to inject malicious sql payloads that can manipulate the database directly. The vulnerability is classified as a classic sql injection attack vector where the attacker can construct sql commands that bypass authentication mechanisms and gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or system functionality.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary sql commands on the underlying database server. This access level enables malicious actors to perform data manipulation, data extraction, privilege escalation, and potentially system compromise. The vulnerability affects the entire authentication and authorization framework of the CMS, undermining the security posture of any web application utilizing this platform. Attackers could exploit this weakness to bypass authentication, retrieve confidential information from database tables, modify user accounts, or even gain shell access to the underlying server through database exploitation techniques.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the CWE-89 classification for sql injection flaws, which represents one of the most prevalent and dangerous categories of web application vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this as a technique within the credential access and persistence domains, where adversaries leverage sql injection to obtain unauthorized database access and maintain long-term system compromise. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation, parameterized queries, and web application firewalls to protect against exploitation attempts. Additionally, the vulnerability highlights the critical importance of regular security assessments and patch management, as this issue affects software that has not received updates for many years, demonstrating the risks associated with legacy systems that remain operational without proper security maintenance.