CVE-2021-35212 in Orion Platform
Summary
by MITRE • 08/31/2021
An SQL injection Privilege Escalation Vulnerability was discovered in the Orion Platform reported by the ZDI Team. A blind Boolean SQL injection which could lead to full read/write over the Orion database content including the Orion certificate for any authenticated user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/03/2021
The vulnerability CVE-2021-35212 represents a critical security flaw in the Orion Platform that enables authenticated users to perform privilege escalation through blind Boolean SQL injection techniques. This vulnerability specifically affects the platform's database interaction mechanisms and allows attackers to manipulate SQL queries through user input fields. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the application's query construction processes, creating an attack surface where malicious payloads can be injected into database operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability operates through a blind Boolean SQL injection vector that enables attackers to infer database content through response variations rather than direct data exposure. When authenticated users submit specific input patterns, the application fails to properly escape or parameterize these inputs before incorporating them into SQL queries. This weakness allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that manipulate the database logic flow, enabling them to extract sensitive information including administrative credentials, system configurations, and cryptographic certificates. The vulnerability specifically targets the Orion certificate storage within the database, which contains critical authentication and encryption keys.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to organizations using the Orion Platform as it allows any authenticated user to achieve full read and write access to the entire Orion database content. The privilege escalation capability means that even users with limited access rights can potentially gain administrative control over the entire system. The database compromise includes access to sensitive operational data, user credentials, system configurations, and most critically, the Orion certificate that governs the platform's security infrastructure. This creates a cascading security risk where attackers can establish persistent access, modify system behavior, and potentially exfiltrate confidential information.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws in software applications. From an adversarial perspective, this weakness maps to multiple ATT&CK techniques including T1078 for valid accounts usage and T1046 for network service scanning. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform reconnaissance activities, escalate privileges, and maintain persistence within the compromised environment. The security implications extend beyond immediate data compromise to include potential lateral movement within networked systems that depend on the Orion platform for monitoring and management functions.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and sanitization measures, parameterized query implementations, and comprehensive code reviews to address the root cause of the SQL injection vulnerability. Database access controls should be strengthened to limit the privileges of authenticated users, and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities. The platform vendor should provide a security patch that addresses the input validation flaws, and organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring controls to detect anomalous database access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular security training for administrators and developers should emphasize secure coding practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future application development cycles.