CVE-2020-18155 in Subrion
Summary
by MITRE • 07/15/2021
SQL Injection vulnerability in Subrion CMS v4.2.1 in the search page if a website uses a PDO connection.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/18/2021
The CVE-2020-18155 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw discovered in Subrion CMS version 4.2.1, specifically affecting websites utilizing PDO (PHP Data Objects) connections for database interactions. This vulnerability resides within the search functionality of the content management system, making it particularly dangerous as search pages are frequently accessed and often contain user-input data that gets processed without proper sanitization. The flaw exploits the improper handling of user-supplied parameters during database queries, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the CMS's failure to adequately validate and sanitize input parameters submitted through the search interface when PDO connections are configured. When users enter search terms, the application constructs SQL queries by directly incorporating these inputs into database commands without proper parameterization or input filtering mechanisms. This allows attackers to inject malicious SQL code that can manipulate the database structure, extract sensitive information, modify data, or even execute administrative commands depending on the database permissions. The vulnerability specifically targets the PDO connection method, which, while generally considered more secure than traditional MySQL extensions, still exposes the application to injection attacks when proper input validation is absent.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-18155 extends beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive user data, including personal information, credentials, and administrative access details. The search functionality being a common entry point means that even limited access through this vector can provide attackers with substantial information gathering capabilities. Furthermore, the vulnerability can be exploited to perform privilege escalation attacks, potentially allowing attackers to gain administrative control over the entire CMS installation. This makes the vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors as it can serve as a foothold for broader network infiltration and lateral movement within compromised environments.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest patches released by Subrion CMS developers, implementing proper input validation and sanitization measures, and conducting comprehensive security assessments of their CMS installations. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which categorizes SQL injection flaws as a fundamental weakness in software security practices, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage and T1046 for network service discovery. Additional protective measures should include web application firewall rules to detect and block suspicious SQL injection patterns, database query logging for anomaly detection, and regular security audits of all CMS components. The incident underscores the critical importance of proper input validation and parameterized queries in preventing injection attacks, particularly in web applications that handle user input through search and other interactive features.