CVE-2019-11363 in Central
Summary
by MITRE
A SQL injection vulnerability in Snare Central before 7.4.5 allows remote authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the AgentConsole/UserGroupQuery.php ShowUser parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/10/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-11363 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the Snare Central security information and event management platform. This issue affects versions prior to 7.4.5 and exposes the system to remote authenticated attackers who can exploit the vulnerability through the AgentConsole/UserGroupQuery.php component. The specific vector of attack targets the ShowUser parameter, which serves as an entry point for malicious SQL command execution. This vulnerability falls under the category of CWE-89 SQL Injection, a well-documented weakness that occurs when user input is improperly sanitized before being incorporated into SQL queries. The attack surface is particularly concerning as it requires only authenticated access, meaning that an attacker who has already gained legitimate credentials within the system can leverage this flaw to escalate their privileges and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the UserGroupQuery.php script. When the ShowUser parameter receives user-supplied data, the application fails to properly escape or parameterize the input before incorporating it into database queries. This allows an attacker to inject malicious SQL syntax that can manipulate the database operations performed by the application. The authenticated nature of the attack means that the vulnerability cannot be exploited by anonymous users, but it does represent a significant risk to organizations where privileged accounts may be compromised through social engineering, credential theft, or other attack vectors. The implications extend beyond simple data theft as attackers can potentially execute destructive operations, modify database schemas, or establish persistent backdoors within the system. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 Application Layer Protocol: DNS, as the attack may leverage legitimate authentication mechanisms to access the vulnerable application component.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial for organizations relying on Snare Central for security monitoring and log management. Successful exploitation could result in unauthorized access to sensitive security event data, user account information, and potentially system configuration details that are crucial for maintaining organizational security posture. Attackers could manipulate the database to hide malicious activities, create false log entries, or extract confidential information that would otherwise remain protected. The vulnerability also poses risks to system integrity as attackers could potentially modify user permissions or access controls within the application. Organizations using vulnerable versions may experience compliance violations if sensitive data is compromised, particularly in regulated environments where audit trails and data protection are mandatory. The exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to extended periods of unauthorized access, as attackers might establish persistent access through database manipulation or by creating new user accounts with elevated privileges.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-11363 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Snare Central installations to version 7.4.5 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the SQL injection vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of the vulnerable application to only authorized personnel. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious SQL injection attempts, conducting regular security assessments of the application, and establishing robust monitoring for unusual database access patterns. Input validation should be strengthened throughout the application to ensure that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being processed by database queries. Security teams should also consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls, ensuring that users have only the minimum necessary permissions to perform their legitimate functions. Regular security training for administrators and developers can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in future application development cycles, while also ensuring that security practices are consistently applied across all system components. Organizations should also maintain detailed audit logs of database activities to quickly detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts.