CVE-2020-35441 in FDCMS
Summary
by MITRE • 06/03/2021
FDCMS (aka Fangfa Content Management System) 4.0 contains a front-end SQL injection via Admin/Lib/Action/FloginAction.class.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/05/2021
The CVE-2020-35441 vulnerability represents a critical front-end SQL injection flaw within the FDCMS (Fangfa Content Management System) version 4.0. This vulnerability specifically resides in the Admin/Lib/Action/FloginAction.class.php file, making it accessible through the administrative login interface. The flaw allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary SQL commands directly into the application's database layer through improperly sanitized user input parameters. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection weaknesses in software applications. The vulnerability's presence in the administrative login component significantly amplifies its potential impact, as successful exploitation could grant attackers unauthorized access to the content management system's backend operations and underlying database infrastructure.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the FloginAction.class.php script fails to properly validate or sanitize input parameters received from the front-end login interface. Attackers can craft malicious input strings that, when processed by the vulnerable application, are directly concatenated into SQL query strings without appropriate escaping or parameterization. This allows for arbitrary SQL command execution, potentially enabling attackers to extract sensitive data, modify database records, or even gain complete control over the database server. The vulnerability's location within the authentication system means that exploitation could lead to privilege escalation, unauthorized administrative access, or complete system compromise. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it targets the administrative login functionality, which typically requires legitimate credentials but can be exploited through various means including credential stuffing, brute force attacks, or direct injection techniques.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-35441 extends beyond simple data theft or corruption, as it represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's input validation and sanitization mechanisms. Organizations utilizing FDCMS 4.0 may face severe consequences including unauthorized access to confidential content, user data breaches, system compromise, and potential regulatory violations depending on the nature of data stored within the CMS. The vulnerability's presence in the login component means that attackers could potentially bypass authentication entirely or escalate privileges once initial access is gained. This weakness creates a persistent threat vector that could remain undetected for extended periods, allowing attackers to maintain long-term access to the compromised system. The vulnerability also aligns with several techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the Tactic of Credential Access and Persistence, specifically targeting credential harvesting and maintaining access through compromised administrative accounts.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and sanitization of all user-provided data, deployment of web application firewalls to detect and block SQL injection attempts, and implementation of proper parameterized queries throughout the application codebase. The recommended approach involves conducting thorough code reviews to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other components, implementing proper access controls and authentication mechanisms, and ensuring that all database interactions utilize prepared statements or parameterized queries. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing database activity monitoring to detect anomalous SQL query patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify similar weaknesses in web applications, particularly those handling sensitive data or administrative functions. System administrators should also ensure that the FDCMS application is updated to the latest version where this vulnerability has been patched and that proper security configurations are implemented to minimize the attack surface.