CVE-2018-18285 in Suite
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerabilities in CMG Suite 8.4 SP2 and earlier, could allow an unauthenticated attacker to conduct an SQL injection attack due to insufficient input validation for the login interface. A successful exploit could allow an attacker to extract sensitive information from the database and execute arbitrary scripts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/02/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-18285 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the CMG Suite 8.4 SP2 and earlier versions, specifically targeting the login interface component. This security weakness stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing. The vulnerability affects the authentication system where user credentials are submitted through the login form, creating an attack surface that unauthenticated threat actors can exploit without requiring prior access credentials. The flaw manifests when the application directly incorporates user input into SQL query constructs without appropriate sanitization or parameterization techniques, allowing malicious input to alter the intended query execution flow. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection weaknesses in software applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exfiltration, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary commands within the database environment. Successful exploitation could enable threat actors to extract sensitive information including user credentials, personal data, and system configurations stored within the database. The vulnerability's unauthenticated nature makes it particularly dangerous as attackers can initiate attacks without requiring legitimate credentials, potentially leading to full system compromise. Database administrators and security teams face significant risk as this flaw could allow attackers to manipulate or destroy database contents, create backdoor accounts, or establish persistent access points within the affected system. The vulnerability's presence in the login interface also suggests potential for credential harvesting attacks, where attackers could systematically attempt to compromise user accounts through automated exploitation techniques.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-18285 must focus on implementing proper input validation and parameterized query execution throughout the application's codebase, particularly within authentication modules. Organizations should immediately upgrade to CMG Suite versions that address this vulnerability, as the vendor has likely released patches or updates to resolve the SQL injection flaws. Security teams should implement web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious SQL injection patterns, while also conducting thorough code reviews to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities across other application components. The implementation of principle of least privilege access controls and database query logging can help detect and prevent unauthorized access attempts. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify potential injection points within the application architecture, following the ATT&CK framework's methodology for identifying and mitigating database-related attack vectors. Organizations must also establish proper monitoring procedures to detect anomalous database access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts, ensuring that security controls align with industry best practices for preventing SQL injection attacks.