CVE-2019-17318 in SugarCRM
Summary
by MITRE
SugarCRM before 8.0.4 and 9.x before 9.0.2 allows SQL injection in the pmse_Inbox module by a Regular user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-17318 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the SugarCRM platform that affects versions prior to 8.0.4 and 9.0.2. This security weakness resides within the pmse_Inbox module, which is part of SugarCRM's process management and workflow capabilities. The vulnerability specifically targets regular users rather than administrative accounts, making it particularly concerning as it demonstrates that even non-privileged users can exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized access to the underlying database system. The affected versions indicate this issue persisted across multiple release lines, suggesting a fundamental flaw in the input validation and query construction mechanisms within the process management component.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user inputs within the pmse_Inbox module. When regular users interact with process management features, the application fails to properly escape or parameterize input parameters before incorporating them into SQL queries. This allows malicious input to be interpreted as part of the SQL command rather than as data, enabling attackers to manipulate database queries. The vulnerability manifests when user-supplied data is directly concatenated into SQL statements without proper validation or encoding, creating an environment where attackers can inject malicious SQL code that executes with the privileges of the application's database connection. This flaw aligns with CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection vulnerabilities and represents a classic example of improper input handling in database operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary database commands and potentially escalate privileges within the system. Regular users who can exploit this vulnerability gain access to the full database schema, allowing them to extract sensitive information, modify records, or even delete critical data. The implications for organizations using SugarCRM include potential data breaches, compliance violations, and system integrity compromise. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to access customer records, financial data, or other sensitive business information stored within the CRM system. The fact that this affects regular users means that organizations cannot rely solely on user privilege controls to prevent exploitation, as the vulnerability allows for privilege escalation through database manipulation. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 which covers application layer protocol manipulation and T1046 which addresses network service enumeration.
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 within the pmse_Inbox module. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls to monitor for SQL injection patterns, conducting thorough input validation and sanitization across all user-facing modules, and establishing network segmentation to limit database access. Regular security auditing of application code, particularly in process management and workflow modules, should be performed to identify similar vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing database activity monitoring to detect anomalous SQL query patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and input validation, particularly in modules handling user interactions with database operations, and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing throughout the software development lifecycle.