CVE-2019-17308 in SugarCRM
Summary
by MITRE
SugarCRM before 8.0.4 and 9.x before 9.0.2 allows PHP code injection in the Emails module by a Regular user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-17308 represents a critical PHP code injection flaw within the SugarCRM platform that affects versions prior to 8.0.4 and 9.0.2. This security weakness resides within the Emails module and presents a significant risk as it allows regular users to execute arbitrary PHP code on the server. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly filter user-supplied data before processing it within the application's email handling functionality. Attackers exploiting this flaw can leverage the regular user account permissions to inject malicious PHP code that gets executed with the privileges of the web server process, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-94, which describes the weakness of allowing arbitrary code execution through improper input validation. The flaw occurs when user input intended for email content or configuration parameters is not properly sanitized before being processed by the PHP interpreter. This allows attackers to inject malicious PHP code snippets that get executed during email processing operations, bypassing normal access controls and authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires minimal privileges to exploit, as regular users can leverage this weakness without needing administrative access or elevated permissions.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe risk landscape for organizations using affected SugarCRM versions. The ability for regular users to execute arbitrary PHP code fundamentally undermines the application's security model and can lead to complete system compromise. Attackers can use this vulnerability to establish persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, perform lateral movement within the network, and potentially gain access to other systems connected to the same infrastructure. The exploitation of this vulnerability can result in data breaches, regulatory compliance violations, and significant financial and reputational damage to affected organizations. The attack surface is further expanded as the vulnerability can be leveraged to escalate privileges and access additional system resources beyond the immediate email functionality.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including applying the vendor-provided patches for versions 8.0.4 and 9.0.2, which address the input validation issues in the Emails module. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious email processing activities, while implementing proper input sanitization measures at multiple layers of the application architecture. Security controls should include regular vulnerability assessments, code reviews focusing on input validation, and implementation of web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059.007 for scripting languages and T1566 for spearphishing with links or attachments, highlighting the need for comprehensive defensive measures. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security awareness training for users to prevent social engineering attacks that might exploit this vulnerability, and establish incident response procedures to quickly address potential exploitation attempts.