CVE-2018-10256 in The Ultimate HRM
Summary
by MITRE
A SQL Injection vulnerability was discovered in HRSALE The Ultimate HRM v1.0.2 that allows a user with low level privileges to directly modify the SQL query.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2025
The CVE-2018-10256 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw in HRSALE The Ultimate HRM version 1.0.2 that fundamentally undermines the application's database security posture. This vulnerability resides within the application's input handling mechanisms where user-supplied data is inadequately sanitized before being incorporated into database queries. The flaw allows attackers with minimal privileges to manipulate the underlying SQL execution logic, potentially enabling unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion. The vulnerability's classification as a SQL injection weakness aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command. This particular implementation defect demonstrates a failure in input validation and query parameterization that creates an exploitable attack surface.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a low-privilege user submits malicious input that bypasses the application's security controls and directly influences the SQL query structure. Attackers can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the backend database, potentially gaining access to sensitive employee information, payroll data, or other confidential human resources records. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data theft as it can enable attackers to escalate privileges within the database, modify user accounts, or even execute operating system commands if the database server permits such operations. The weakness manifests in the application's failure to properly escape or parameterize user inputs, creating a direct path for malicious SQL code injection that bypasses standard authentication and authorization mechanisms.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to organizations relying on HRSALE The Ultimate HRM for their human resources management. The low privilege requirement for exploitation means that even casual users or individuals with minimal access rights can potentially compromise the entire database infrastructure. The impact includes potential data breaches involving sensitive personal information, financial records, and confidential employee data that could lead to regulatory compliance violations under data protection laws such as GDPR or HIPAA. The vulnerability's presence in a human resources management system amplifies the risk since HR databases typically contain highly sensitive information including social security numbers, salary details, medical records, and personal contact information that makes it a prime target for cybercriminals. Organizations may face significant financial penalties, legal consequences, and reputational damage if such vulnerabilities are exploited successfully.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability effectively. The primary remediation involves implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries throughout the application codebase to prevent user input from being directly incorporated into SQL statements. Database administrators should enforce the principle of least privilege, ensuring that database accounts used by the application have minimal required permissions and cannot execute dangerous operations. Network segmentation and intrusion detection systems should monitor for suspicious database access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under the T1071.004 technique for application layer protocol tunneling, and the T1068 technique for exploit for privilege escalation, highlighting the multi-stage nature of exploitation. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and database activity monitoring solutions can provide additional protection against SQL injection attacks and help detect anomalous database behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts.