CVE-2018-20730 in NeDi
Summary
by MITRE
A SQL injection vulnerability in NeDi before 1.7Cp3 allows any user to execute arbitrary SQL read commands via the query.php component.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/02/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-20730 represents a critical SQL injection flaw in NeDi network monitoring software prior to version 1.7Cp3. This vulnerability exists within the query.php component, which processes user input without proper sanitization or validation mechanisms. The flaw allows any authenticated user to manipulate database queries through crafted input parameters, potentially enabling unauthorized data access and extraction from the underlying database system. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper parameter handling within the application's database interaction layer.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows standard SQL injection attack patterns where malicious input is injected into database queries through the query.php interface. Attackers can construct specially crafted SQL commands that bypass authentication checks and execute arbitrary read operations against the database. This allows for unauthorized data retrieval including user credentials, network configurations, device information, and other sensitive network monitoring data. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data theft as it can facilitate further exploitation through data enumeration and reconnaissance activities that may lead to additional system compromises.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to network monitoring environments that rely on NeDi for infrastructure management. The ability for any user to execute arbitrary SQL read commands undermines the integrity and confidentiality of network monitoring data, potentially exposing sensitive network information to unauthorized parties. Organizations using affected versions of NeDi face increased risk of data breaches, compliance violations, and potential lateral movement within their network infrastructure. The vulnerability's accessibility to any authenticated user means that even low-privilege accounts could be leveraged to extract valuable information from the monitoring database.
Security mitigations for CVE-2018-20730 should prioritize immediate patching of affected NeDi installations to version 1.7Cp3 or later, which includes proper input validation and parameterized query implementations. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit user privileges and reduce the attack surface. Database query auditing and monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous SQL patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and input validation mechanisms can provide additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws, and represents a classic example of how insufficient input validation can lead to severe database compromise. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1071.004 for application layer protocols and T1005 for data from local system, highlighting the reconnaissance and data extraction capabilities that attackers can leverage through such vulnerabilities.