CVE-2019-17315 in SugarCRM
Summary
by MITRE
SugarCRM before 8.0.4 and 9.x before 9.0.2 allows PHP object injection in the Administration module by an Admin user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-17315 represents a critical PHP object injection flaw within the SugarCRM customer relationship management platform. This security weakness affects versions prior to 8.0.4 in the 8.x release line and 9.0.2 in the 9.x release line, specifically within the Administration module where administrative users possess elevated privileges. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly handle serialized PHP objects when processing user-supplied data through administrative interfaces.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an authenticated administrator user submits maliciously crafted data containing serialized PHP objects through the Administration module. The flaw arises from the improper handling of user inputs that should be strictly validated and sanitized before being processed by the PHP unserialize() function or similar deserialization mechanisms. When an administrator interacts with the affected module, the system inadvertently processes these malicious serialized objects, leading to arbitrary code execution capabilities. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-502 which specifically addresses deserialization of untrusted data, making it particularly dangerous due to the elevated privileges of the attacking user.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-17315 extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it provides attackers with complete system compromise capabilities. An attacker with administrative access can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary commands on the server, potentially leading to full system takeover, data exfiltration, or deployment of additional malicious payloads. The vulnerability's severity is amplified by the fact that it requires only administrative credentials, which are typically more privileged than standard user accounts. Organizations using affected SugarCRM versions face significant risk of unauthorized access and potential data breaches, particularly in environments where administrative accounts are frequently used or have elevated system permissions. The attack surface is further expanded when considering that administrative users often have access to system configuration settings, user management, and database connections that could be exploited to gain deeper access to network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-17315 should prioritize immediate patching of affected SugarCRM installations to versions 8.0.4 or 9.0.2, respectively, which contain the necessary security fixes. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit administrative access to only necessary personnel and systems. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by restricting administrative privileges to specific tasks and implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security assessments of their CRM systems and implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual administrative activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 which covers command and scripting interpreter, as successful exploitation would enable attackers to execute arbitrary code through the PHP object injection mechanism. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and input validation rules that specifically target serialized object patterns to provide additional defense-in-depth measures against similar vulnerabilities.