CVE-2022-24815 in JHipster
Summary
by MITRE • 04/12/2022
JHipster is a development platform to quickly generate, develop, & deploy modern web applications & microservice architectures. SQL Injection vulnerability in entities for applications generated with the option "reactive with Spring WebFlux" enabled and an SQL database using r2dbc. Applications created without "reactive with Spring WebFlux" and applications with NoSQL databases are not affected. Users who have generated a microservice Gateway using the affected version may be impacted as Gateways are reactive by default. Currently, SQL injection is possible in the findAllBy(Pageable pageable, Criteria criteria) method of an entity repository class generated in these applications as the where clause using Criteria for queries are not sanitized and user input is passed on as it is by the criteria. This issue has been patched in v7.8.1. Users unable to upgrade should be careful when combining criterias and conditions as the root of the issue lies in the `EntityManager.java` class when creating the where clause via `Conditions.just(criteria.toString())`. `just` accepts the literal string provided. Criteria's `toString` method returns a plain string and this combination is vulnerable to sql injection as the string is not sanitized and will contain whatever used passed as input using any plain SQL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/14/2022
The CVE-2022-24815 vulnerability affects JHipster applications that utilize the reactive Spring WebFlux framework with SQL databases through R2DBC connections. This security flaw represents a critical SQL injection vulnerability that emerges from the improper handling of user input within the criteria-based query generation mechanism. The vulnerability specifically targets applications generated with the reactive option enabled, where the findAllBy method processes Pageable and Criteria parameters without adequate sanitization of the where clause construction. The issue stems from the EntityManager.java class implementation that directly passes user-provided criteria strings to the Conditions.just() method without any input validation or sanitization, creating an exploitable path for malicious SQL injection attacks.
This vulnerability operates at the application layer and demonstrates a classic SQL injection weakness categorized under CWE-89, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands. The flaw occurs within the reactive Spring WebFlux architecture where the criteria-based query building process fails to properly escape or sanitize user input before incorporating it into SQL query construction. The root cause lies in how the Criteria.toString() method returns raw string representations of user-provided input, which are then directly consumed by the Conditions.just() method, bypassing any security controls that should normally protect against SQL injection. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege and input validation within the data access layer of these applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it could enable attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database systems. Attackers could potentially extract sensitive information, modify or delete data, gain unauthorized access to additional system resources, or even escalate privileges within the database environment. The vulnerability affects microservice Gateways by default since they are reactive applications, making them particularly susceptible to exploitation in distributed architectures. The attack vector requires minimal privileges and can be executed through normal application interaction points where criteria-based filtering is used, making it especially dangerous in production environments where user input is frequently processed through these pathways.
Organizations using affected JHipster versions should immediately implement the patched version 7.8.1 to address this vulnerability. For those unable to upgrade, mitigation strategies should include implementing strict input validation at the application boundary, employing parameterized queries where possible, and conducting thorough code reviews of any custom repository implementations that might interact with criteria-based queries. Security teams should monitor for unusual database activity patterns and implement database activity monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage and T1041 for data transfer, as it enables unauthorized data access through legitimate application interfaces. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and proper input sanitization, particularly when working with reactive frameworks that may not provide the same level of built-in protection mechanisms found in traditional synchronous application architectures.