CVE-2018-17566 in ThinkPHP
Summary
by MITRE
In ThinkPHP 5.1.24, the inner function delete can be used for SQL injection when its WHERE condition's value can be controlled by a user's request.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-17566 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the ThinkPHP web application framework version 5.1.24. This security weakness specifically affects the internal delete function implementation, where user-controllable input directly influences the WHERE clause of database operations. The flaw arises from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or parameterize user-supplied data before incorporating it into SQL query construction. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious requests that manipulate the WHERE condition parameters, thereby injecting arbitrary SQL commands into the database layer.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the delete function's WHERE clause parameter, which allows attackers to bypass normal input filtering mechanisms. When a user-controlled value is passed directly into the WHERE condition without proper sanitization, the application constructs SQL queries that include malicious payload data. This creates an environment where attackers can execute unauthorized database operations including data extraction, modification, or deletion. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of user input within the framework's core database abstraction layer, specifically affecting the way parameter binding and query construction occur during delete operations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to applications built on ThinkPHP 5.1.24 as it enables attackers to perform unauthorized database operations with potentially elevated privileges. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to include complete database compromise, which can result in data loss, service disruption, and potential lateral movement within affected networks. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the framework level, meaning that any application using the affected version is automatically susceptible to exploitation without requiring additional attack vectors. Security teams must recognize that successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive data stored within the database.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-17566 involve immediate patching of the ThinkPHP framework to version 5.1.25 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for proper input sanitization and parameter handling. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation at multiple layers including application-level, web application firewall rules, and database access controls. The principle of least privilege should be enforced to limit database user permissions and prevent attackers from executing destructive operations even if they successfully exploit the vulnerability. Additionally, regular security auditing and code review processes should be implemented to identify similar patterns in custom application code that might be vulnerable to similar injection attacks. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-89 which categorizes SQL injection flaws, and represents a common attack pattern documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the technique of SQL injection within web application attacks.