CVE-2023-28883 in Cerebrate
Summary
by MITRE • 03/27/2023
In Cerebrate 1.13, a blind SQL injection exists in the searchAll API endpoint.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/07/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-28883 represents a critical security flaw in the Cerebrate 1.13 application ecosystem where a blind SQL injection vulnerability has been discovered within the searchAll API endpoint. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws, making it a fundamental database security risk that can have severe operational consequences for affected systems. The blind nature of this injection means that attackers cannot directly observe database query results through error messages or response content, requiring more sophisticated exploitation techniques that rely on timing variations or conditional responses to extract information from the backend database.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows malicious actors to manipulate the searchAll API endpoint through crafted input parameters that are not properly sanitized or validated before being incorporated into database queries. This flaw enables attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database system, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, data modification, or complete database compromise. The blind SQL injection technique employed in this case requires attackers to infer database contents through indirect methods such as time-based delays or boolean responses, making the exploitation process more complex but no less dangerous. The vulnerability exists because the application fails to implement proper input validation, parameterized queries, or other defensive mechanisms that would prevent malicious SQL code from being executed within the database context.
Operationally, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations utilizing Cerebrate 1.13 as it could enable attackers to extract sensitive information from the database including user credentials, personal data, financial records, or proprietary business information. The impact extends beyond simple data theft as attackers could potentially escalate privileges, modify database structures, or even gain remote code execution capabilities depending on the database system configuration and the level of access granted to the application's database user account. The searchAll API endpoint typically serves as a critical interface for data retrieval and system functionality, making its compromise particularly damaging to the overall security posture of the affected environment.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-28883 should prioritize immediate implementation of proper input validation and parameterized query usage across all API endpoints that interact with database systems. Organizations should implement comprehensive web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious SQL injection patterns, while also deploying proper output encoding to prevent malicious payloads from being executed. The remediation process must include thorough code review and security testing of all API endpoints to identify similar vulnerabilities, with particular attention to how user input is processed and integrated into database queries. Security teams should also establish monitoring mechanisms to detect unusual API access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and implement principle of least privilege access controls for database accounts used by the application. According to ATT&CK framework category T1190, this vulnerability aligns with the exploitation of remote services through injection techniques, while the remediation approach should follow the defensive strategies outlined in MITRE ATT&CK for database security controls and input validation measures.