CVE-2020-36003 in Online Book Store
Summary
by MITRE • 02/17/2021
The id parameter in detail.php of Online Book Store v1.0 is vulnerable to union-based blind SQL injection, which leads to the ability to retrieve all databases.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/02/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-36003 resides within the Online Book Store v1.0 web application, specifically in the detail.php script where the id parameter handling creates a critical security flaw. This issue represents a classic union-based blind sql injection vulnerability that allows attackers to extract database information through indirect means. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization of user-supplied data, particularly in how the application processes the id parameter that is typically used to retrieve specific book details from the database. The absence of proper parameterized queries or input filtering mechanisms enables malicious actors to manipulate the sql query structure and extract sensitive data from the underlying database system.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a union-based blind sql injection methodology where attackers can infer database contents through carefully crafted sql payloads. This approach relies on the application's response behavior to determine if the injected sql commands execute successfully, allowing for systematic data enumeration through boolean-based or time-based blind techniques. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-89 which specifically addresses sql injection flaws, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol manipulation. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform unauthorized database enumeration, potentially accessing sensitive user information, book inventory details, and other confidential data stored within the application's database.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it provides attackers with the capability to escalate their privileges and potentially gain deeper access to the application's backend infrastructure. Successful exploitation could lead to complete database compromise, allowing attackers to extract all database schemas, user credentials, and sensitive business information. The vulnerability's presence in a book store application specifically raises concerns about customer data exposure, including personal information, purchase histories, and potentially payment details that may be stored in the database. Organizations using this application face significant risk of data breaches and regulatory compliance violations, particularly under data protection frameworks such as gdpr and pci dss standards.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. The primary fix involves implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries to prevent sql injection attacks, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before database interaction. Organizations should deploy web application firewalls and input validation mechanisms to detect and block malicious sql injection attempts. Additionally, regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The implementation of principle of least privilege access controls and database query monitoring can further reduce the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. Security teams should also establish incident response procedures to quickly address any exploitation attempts and ensure proper patch management processes are in place to prevent similar issues in future application versions.