CVE-2018-7538 in Tuleap Software Engineering Platform
Summary
by MITRE
A SQL injection vulnerability in the tracker functionality of Enalean Tuleap software engineering platform before 9.18 allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/08/2025
The CVE-2018-7538 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the tracker component of Enalean Tuleap, a comprehensive software engineering platform designed for collaborative development environments. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 9.18 and exposes the platform to severe security risks through improper input validation mechanisms. The tracker functionality serves as a core component for issue tracking, requirement management, and project monitoring within Tuleap environments, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could compromise the entire project management infrastructure. The flaw arises from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied data when processing tracker-related queries, creating an avenue for malicious actors to manipulate database operations through crafted input parameters.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when attackers submit maliciously formatted data through the tracker interface, which then gets incorporated into SQL queries without proper validation or escaping. This allows threat actors to inject arbitrary SQL commands that execute with the privileges of the database user account associated with the Tuleap application. The vulnerability can be classified under CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection weaknesses in software applications. Attackers can leverage this flaw to extract sensitive information from the database, modify or delete critical project data, escalate privileges within the system, or potentially gain unauthorized access to underlying infrastructure components. The impact extends beyond simple data theft as the vulnerability could enable complete system compromise if the database user has elevated privileges.
Operational impact of CVE-2018-7538 manifests across multiple security domains within software development environments that utilize Tuleap platforms. Organizations relying on this system for managing sensitive source code repositories, project requirements, user credentials, and development artifacts face substantial risk of data breaches and intellectual property exposure. The vulnerability affects not only the immediate database integrity but also compromises the trust and reliability of the entire development workflow. Security teams must consider the potential for cascading effects where compromised tracker data could lead to further exploitation through related systems that depend on the same database infrastructure. The attack surface expands when considering that Tuleap environments often integrate with version control systems, continuous integration pipelines, and authentication services that could be compromised through database access.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-7538 require immediate implementation of the vendor-provided patch for versions 9.18 and later, which addresses the underlying input validation issues in the tracker component. Organizations should implement comprehensive input sanitization measures and parameterized queries throughout their applications to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other components. Network segmentation and database access controls should be enforced to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. Security monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect unusual database query patterns that may indicate SQL injection attempts. The remediation process must include thorough testing of the patched environment to ensure that the vulnerability is fully resolved without introducing regressions in functionality. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their Tuleap installations to identify any other potential vulnerabilities in related components or integrated systems that could provide alternative attack vectors. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect collaborative development environments from persistent threats.