CVE-2020-35674 in Online Invoicing System
Summary
by MITRE • 09/29/2022
BigProf Online Invoicing System before 2.9 suffers from an unauthenticated SQL Injection found in /membership_passwordReset.php (the endpoint that is responsible for issuing self-service password resets). An unauthenticated attacker is able to send a request containing a crafted payload that can result in sensitive information being extracted from the database, eventually leading into an application takeover. This vulnerability was introduced as a result of the developer trying to roll their own sanitization implementation in order to allow the application to be used in legacy environments.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2022
The CVE-2020-35674 vulnerability affects the BigProf Online Invoicing System version 2.8 and earlier, presenting a critical security flaw in the password reset functionality. This vulnerability resides within the /membership_passwordReset.php endpoint which handles self-service password reset requests. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system's database through SQL injection techniques. The vulnerability represents a classic example of insecure input handling that undermines the fundamental security controls of the application.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a problematic approach to legacy compatibility where developers attempted to create custom sanitization logic rather than implementing established security measures. This custom implementation fails to properly escape or validate user-supplied input parameters that are directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper protection mechanisms. The attack vector allows unauthenticated remote exploitation, meaning any attacker with access to the network can attempt to leverage this vulnerability without requiring prior authentication credentials. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be discovered and exploited by automated scanning tools or malicious actors without significant barriers to entry.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data extraction, as it provides attackers with the capability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information stored within the application's database. This includes user credentials, personal information, and potentially business-critical data that could be used for further attacks or unauthorized access to the system. The vulnerability's potential for application takeover represents a severe escalation risk, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to assume administrative privileges or completely compromise the system's integrity. The fact that this vulnerability was introduced through a custom sanitization implementation rather than a known security flaw highlights the dangers of non-standard security approaches in application development.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-89 which describes SQL injection flaws, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege and proper input validation. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a technique for credential access and privilege escalation, with the specific tactic being "T1213: Data from Information Repositories" and potentially "T1078: Valid Accounts" if credential extraction leads to account compromise. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to address this vulnerability, as the combination of unauthenticated access and potential database takeover makes this a high-priority remediation. The incident also underscores the importance of following established security frameworks and avoiding custom security implementations that have not been properly vetted for robustness against common attack patterns.