CVE-2017-8015 in AppSync
Summary
by MITRE
EMC AppSync (all versions prior to 3.5) contains a SQL injection vulnerability that could potentially be exploited by malicious users to compromise the affected system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/11/2021
The CVE-2017-8015 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw within EMC AppSync software versions prior to 3.5, posing significant security risks to organizations relying on this data synchronization platform. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the application's database interaction components, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary SQL commands through improperly sanitized user inputs. The affected system architecture processes user-provided data without adequate sanitization, creating an exploitable entry point for attackers seeking to manipulate the underlying database infrastructure. This flaw specifically impacts the application's authentication and authorization mechanisms, potentially enabling unauthorized access to sensitive data and system resources.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows established patterns of SQL injection attacks as categorized under CWE-89, where user-supplied data flows directly into SQL query construction without proper sanitization or parameterization. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting malicious input sequences that alter the intended query execution flow, potentially extracting confidential information, modifying database records, or even executing administrative commands on the underlying database system. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise and persistent backdoor access. This weakness aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.005 for application layer protocol manipulation and T1046 for network service discovery, as attackers would typically enumerate system components and establish persistent access post-exploitation.
Organizations utilizing EMC AppSync versions before 3.5 face substantial operational risks from this vulnerability, including potential data breaches, regulatory compliance violations, and operational disruption. The attack surface for this vulnerability encompasses all user-facing interfaces within the application that process external inputs, particularly authentication forms, search functionalities, and administrative interfaces. System administrators must recognize that this vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring prior authentication, making it particularly dangerous in environments with exposed network services. The impact assessment should consider potential cascading effects on connected systems and data integrity across the enterprise network infrastructure. Recovery from exploitation could involve complete system reinstallation, database restoration from clean backups, and comprehensive security audits to ensure no persistent compromise exists.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-8015 require immediate implementation of the vendor-provided security patches and updates to EMC AppSync versions 3.5 and later. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to affected systems and deploy web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious SQL injection patterns. Input validation mechanisms must be strengthened across all application interfaces, with proper parameterized queries replacing dynamic SQL construction wherever possible. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify similar weaknesses in other applications and implement automated monitoring for SQL injection attempts. Regular security training for development teams emphasizes secure coding practices and proper input sanitization techniques. Additionally, organizations should establish incident response procedures specifically addressing SQL injection vulnerabilities and maintain detailed system logging to facilitate forensic analysis following any suspected exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched environments to ensure no regression issues affect application functionality while maintaining continuous monitoring for potential exploitation indicators.