CVE-2022-25488 in Atom CMS
Summary
by MITRE • 03/15/2022
Atom CMS v2.0 was discovered to contain a SQL injection vulnerability via the id parameter in /admin/ajax/avatar.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/18/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-25488 represents a critical security flaw in Atom CMS version 2.0 that exposes the system to unauthorized database access through a SQL injection attack vector. This vulnerability specifically targets the administrative interface of the content management system, where the id parameter in the /admin/ajax/avatar.php endpoint fails to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into database queries. The flaw allows malicious actors to manipulate the database structure and potentially extract sensitive information, modify content, or escalate their privileges within the system. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient input validation and improper parameter handling in the backend processing logic.
The technical implementation of this SQL injection vulnerability stems from the application's failure to employ proper prepared statements or parameterized queries when processing the id parameter. When an attacker submits malicious input through the avatar.php endpoint, the system directly incorporates this unvalidated data into SQL commands without adequate sanitization or escaping mechanisms. This creates an exploitable condition where attackers can inject arbitrary SQL code that executes within the database context, potentially leading to complete database compromise. The vulnerability specifically affects the administrative AJAX functionality, making it particularly dangerous as it provides access to privileged system operations that control user management, content modification, and system configuration parameters.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it enables attackers to gain unauthorized administrative access to the CMS system. Successful exploitation could result in complete system compromise, allowing threat actors to modify or delete content, create new administrative accounts, or exfiltrate sensitive user data including credentials and personal information. The vulnerability affects the entire administrative ecosystem of the Atom CMS, potentially compromising multiple system components and providing a foothold for further attacks within the network infrastructure. Organizations using this vulnerable version face significant risk of data breaches, service disruption, and potential regulatory compliance violations due to the exposure of sensitive information through the compromised database layer.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-25488 should prioritize immediate patching of the Atom CMS to version 2.1 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes to address the SQL injection vulnerability. Organizations should also implement input validation measures at the application level, ensuring that all user-supplied data undergoes proper sanitization before being processed. The implementation of prepared statements and parameterized queries should be enforced throughout the application codebase to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other endpoints. Network-level protections including web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, while regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate other potential SQL injection vulnerabilities. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws, and represents a common attack pattern categorized under ATT&CK technique T1190 for exploitation of vulnerabilities in web applications.