CVE-2018-11231 in OpenCart
Summary
by MITRE
In the Divido plugin for OpenCart, there is SQL injection. Attackers can use SQL injection to get some confidential information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-11231 resides within the Divido plugin for OpenCart, a widely used e-commerce platform that powers numerous online stores worldwide. This particular plugin integrates financing solutions, allowing customers to make purchases with installment plans, which makes it a critical component of the shopping experience. The security flaw manifests as a SQL injection vulnerability that directly impacts the plugin's ability to process user inputs securely. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and sanitization within the plugin's database interaction mechanisms, creating an exploitable entry point for malicious actors seeking unauthorized access to sensitive data.
The technical implementation of this SQL injection vulnerability occurs when the plugin fails to properly escape or validate user-supplied parameters before incorporating them into database queries. This flaw typically manifests in parameters related to customer information, order details, or plugin configuration settings that are processed through the backend database system. Attackers can manipulate these inputs to inject malicious SQL commands that bypass authentication mechanisms, extract confidential data, or potentially modify database records. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-89 as SQL Injection, which represents one of the most critical web application security weaknesses, as it allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands on the database server. The attack vector specifically targets the plugin's database interaction layer, where user inputs are directly concatenated into SQL statements without proper sanitization measures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it represents a significant risk to e-commerce operations and customer privacy. Successful exploitation could result in unauthorized access to customer personal information, financial details, order histories, and potentially sensitive business data stored within the OpenCart database. The exposure creates opportunities for identity theft, financial fraud, and competitive intelligence gathering, while also potentially compromising the integrity of the entire e-commerce platform. Organizations running affected versions of the Divido plugin face substantial risk of regulatory compliance violations, particularly under data protection frameworks such as GDPR, PCI DSS, and other industry standards that mandate proper data handling and security measures. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple versions of the plugin means that numerous websites remain at risk, creating a widespread security concern within the OpenCart ecosystem.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-11231 must focus on immediate remediation through patching the vulnerable plugin to ensure proper input validation and parameterized query execution. Organizations should implement proper input sanitization techniques using prepared statements or parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection attacks from succeeding. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar issues within other third-party plugins or custom code implementations. The remediation process should also include comprehensive monitoring of database access logs for any signs of unauthorized activity, along with regular updates to security protocols and user access controls. Security teams must ensure that all plugin installations undergo thorough security review processes before deployment, particularly when dealing with third-party integrations that handle sensitive customer data. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security measures and implementing proper code review practices to prevent similar issues in other components of the e-commerce infrastructure.