CVE-2021-4276 in hedgehog
Summary
by MITRE • 12/25/2022
** DISPUTED ** ** UNSUPPORTED WHEN ASSIGNED ** A vulnerability was found in dns-stats hedgehog. It has been rated as problematic. Affected by this issue is the function DSCIOManager::dsc_import_input_from_source of the file src/DSCIOManager.cpp. The manipulation leads to sql injection. The attack may be launched remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The real existence of this vulnerability is still doubted at the moment. The name of the patch is 58922c345d3d1fe89bb2020111873a3e07ca93ac. It is recommended to apply a patch to fix this issue. VDB-216746 is the identifier assigned to this vulnerability. NOTE: This vulnerability only affects products that are no longer supported by the maintainer. NOTE: We do assume that the Data Manager server can only be accessed by authorised users. Because of this, we don’t believe this specific attack is possible without such a compromise of the Data Manager server.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/03/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-4276 resides within the dns-stats hedgehog application, specifically targeting the DSCIOManager::dsc_import_input_from_source function in the src/DSCIOManager.cpp file. This issue represents a classic sql injection vulnerability that could potentially allow attackers to execute malicious database commands through improperly sanitized input parameters. The vulnerability has been rated as problematic by security researchers and is considered to have been publicly disclosed, making it potentially exploitable by threat actors who might have access to the affected system. The vulnerability's classification as disputed and unsupported when assigned indicates that the maintainers have ceased support for the affected software, which significantly complicates remediation efforts and increases the risk exposure for organizations still utilizing this deprecated product.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper handling of input data during the import process, where user-supplied parameters are directly incorporated into sql queries without adequate sanitization or parameterization. This allows an attacker to manipulate the sql execution flow by injecting malicious sql code through the input source, potentially enabling unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion. The attack vector is classified as remote, meaning that an attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability without requiring physical access to the system. The sql injection vulnerability stems from a lack of proper input validation and output encoding, creating a pathway for malicious payloads to be executed within the database context. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses sql injection flaws in software applications, and represents a fundamental weakness in the application's data handling security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant despite the disputed status and the noted assumption that access to the Data Manager server should be restricted to authorized users only. While the security community has questioned the practical exploitability of this vulnerability due to the assumption of authorized access, the potential for privilege escalation remains a serious concern. The vulnerability's exploitation could result in unauthorized data access, data corruption, or complete database compromise if an attacker successfully breaches the authorized access controls. Organizations that continue to operate unsupported software versions face heightened risk exposure, as they cannot rely on official patches or security updates to address this vulnerability. The public disclosure of the exploit further compounds the risk, as it provides threat actors with the necessary information to develop and deploy automated attack tools against vulnerable systems.
Given that the software is no longer maintained and the vulnerability has been deemed unsupported, the recommended mitigation approach focuses on immediate patching with the provided fix identified by the commit hash 58922c345d3d1fe89bb2020111873a3e07ca93ac. However, organizations should consider the broader implications of continuing to operate unsupported software and evaluate migration to supported alternatives. The vulnerability's classification as potentially exploitable through remote access means that organizations should implement additional network-level controls, including firewall rules and access controls, to limit exposure. Security teams should also consider implementing database activity monitoring and intrusion detection systems to detect potential exploitation attempts. The ATT&CK framework's T1071.004 technique for application layer protocol tunneling could be relevant in monitoring for malicious sql injection attempts, while T1213.002 for data from information repositories should be considered for protecting against data exfiltration. Organizations must also conduct thorough security assessments to ensure that no other vulnerabilities exist within the deprecated software ecosystem, as the lack of support increases the likelihood of additional undiscovered flaws.