CVE-2018-18784 in zzcms
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in zzcms 8.3. SQL Injection exists in admin/tagmanage.php via the tabletag parameter. (This needs an admin user login.)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2020
The vulnerability CVE-2018-18784 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the zzcms 8.3 content management system that specifically affects the administrative interface. This vulnerability resides in the admin/tagmanage.php file where the tabletag parameter is improperly handled, allowing authenticated attackers with administrative privileges to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database. The issue requires prior authentication as an administrator, which means that attackers must first obtain valid administrative credentials to exploit this weakness, but once achieved, the impact can be severe.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization of the tabletag parameter within the admin/tagmanage.php script. When an administrator performs operations related to tag management, the application directly incorporates user-supplied input from the tabletag parameter into SQL query constructions without proper escaping or parameterization. This design flaw aligns with CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection vulnerabilities where untrusted data is concatenated into SQL commands without adequate sanitization. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic example of insecure database query construction where attacker-controlled input flows directly into the SQL execution context.
From an operational perspective, the impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or modification. An authenticated attacker with administrative access could potentially extract sensitive information from the database including user credentials, configuration details, and other confidential data stored within the zzcms system. The attacker might also be able to modify or delete database records, potentially compromising the integrity of the entire content management system. This vulnerability essentially provides a backdoor for malicious actors to gain deeper access to the system's data repository, potentially leading to complete system compromise if combined with other vulnerabilities or if the administrative credentials are obtained through other means.
The security implications of this vulnerability are particularly concerning given that it affects the administrative interface of a content management system. Organizations relying on zzcms 8.3 for their web content management are at risk of unauthorized data access and potential system takeover if proper access controls are not maintained. The requirement for administrative authentication does not mitigate the risk entirely, as it represents a privilege escalation opportunity within the existing administrative framework. Security practitioners should note that this vulnerability could be leveraged as part of a broader attack chain where attackers first obtain administrative credentials through other means such as credential stuffing, phishing, or exploiting other system weaknesses before utilizing this SQL injection vulnerability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-18784 should focus on immediate patching of the zzcms 8.3 application to the latest version that addresses this specific SQL injection vulnerability. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation and sanitization measures for all parameters processed by the admin/tagmanage.php script. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by ensuring that administrative accounts have minimal necessary permissions and that multi-factor authentication is implemented for administrative access. Additionally, regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other parts of the application. Network segmentation and intrusion detection systems can help monitor for suspicious database access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices such as those recommended by the OWASP Top Ten and the ATT&CK framework, particularly in the area of database security and input validation to prevent similar issues in future development cycles.