CVE-2017-20173 in contentmap
Summary
by MITRE • 01/18/2023
A vulnerability was found in AlexRed contentmap. It has been rated as critical. Affected by this issue is the function Load of the file contentmap.php. The manipulation of the argument contentid leads to sql injection. The name of the patch is dd265d23ff4abac97422835002c6a47f45ae2a66. It is recommended to apply a patch to fix this issue. The identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-218492.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/09/2023
This critical sql injection vulnerability exists in the AlexRed contentmap component where the Load function in contentmap.php fails to properly sanitize the contentid parameter. The flaw allows attackers to manipulate the contentid argument and execute arbitrary sql commands against the underlying database system. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and improper parameter handling within the application's database interaction logic, creating a direct pathway for malicious sql payload injection.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability follows standard sql injection patterns where user-controllable input flows directly into sql query construction without proper sanitization or parameterization. When the contentid parameter is processed through the Load function, the application constructs sql queries that concatenate the unsanitized input directly into the sql statement, enabling attackers to craft malicious input that alters the intended sql execution flow. This type of vulnerability typically maps to CWE-89 sql injection and can be exploited through various attack vectors including union-based queries, error-based extraction, or blind sql injection techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with unauthorized access to the application's database backend, potentially enabling data theft, data manipulation, or complete database compromise. An attacker could extract sensitive information including user credentials, personal data, or application configuration details. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the system's data repository and could lead to further lateral movement within the network if database credentials are compromised. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 application layer protocol and T1046 network service scanning, as exploitation typically requires reconnaissance and protocol-specific attack delivery.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate application of the provided patch with commit hash dd265d23ff4abac97422835002c6a47f45ae2a66 which addresses the input validation issue in contentmap.php. Additionally, implementing proper parameterized queries, input sanitization, and output encoding techniques would prevent similar vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments and input validation reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues. Organizations should also implement database activity monitoring and intrusion detection systems to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure coding practices and proper input validation as outlined in OWASP top ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks.