CVE-2018-16762 in Fuel
Summary
by MITRE
FUEL CMS 1.4.1 allows SQL Injection via the layout, published, or search_term parameter to pages/items.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-16762 affects FUEL CMS version 1.4.1 and represents a critical SQL injection flaw that compromises the database integrity of affected systems. This vulnerability resides within the pages/items endpoint where multiple parameters including layout, published, and search_term are susceptible to malicious input manipulation. The flaw enables attackers to inject arbitrary SQL commands directly into the database query execution flow, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the CMS framework, allowing malicious actors to bypass normal security controls and directly interact with the underlying database infrastructure.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a classic SQL injection pattern where user-supplied parameters are directly concatenated into SQL query strings without proper escaping or parameterization. When attackers submit malicious payloads through the layout, published, or search_term parameters, the application fails to properly sanitize these inputs before incorporating them into database queries. This creates an environment where attackers can manipulate the SQL execution context to extract sensitive information, modify database records, or even execute administrative commands on the database server. The vulnerability specifically targets the CMS's content management functionality where these parameters are used to filter and retrieve page data from the database.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations utilizing FUEL CMS 1.4.1 as it provides attackers with direct database access capabilities. Successful exploitation could result in complete data compromise including user credentials, content management information, and potentially sensitive organizational data stored within the CMS database. The vulnerability affects the availability and integrity of the content management system, as attackers could modify or delete critical page content, disrupting normal operations and potentially causing service outages. Additionally, the attack could serve as a foothold for further lateral movement within the network infrastructure, particularly if the database server hosts other sensitive applications or services.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including patching to the latest FUEL CMS version that addresses this vulnerability, applying input validation and sanitization measures to all user-supplied parameters, and implementing proper parameterized queries throughout the application codebase. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls should be configured to detect and block malicious SQL injection attempts targeting these specific parameters. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89 which classifies SQL injection as a critical weakness in software applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol manipulation. Regular security auditing and input validation testing should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future development cycles, while also ensuring that all database interactions follow secure coding practices that prevent direct parameter concatenation into SQL statements.