CVE-2023-44376 in Online Art Gallery
Summary
by MITRE • 10/27/2023
Online Art Gallery v1.0 is vulnerable to multiple Unauthenticated SQL Injection vulnerabilities. The 'add2' parameter of the header.php resource does not validate the characters received and they are sent unfiltered to the database.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-44376 affects Online Art Gallery version 1.0 and represents a critical security flaw that exposes the application to unauthenticated sql injection attacks. This vulnerability resides within the header.php resource where the 'add2' parameter fails to implement proper input validation mechanisms, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary sql commands directly into the database layer without requiring authentication credentials. The absence of input sanitization creates a direct pathway for attackers to manipulate database queries and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive information stored within the application's backend systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-89 which specifically addresses sql injection flaws where untrusted data is incorporated into sql commands without proper validation or escaping mechanisms. The flaw operates at the application layer where user-supplied input flows directly into database queries without adequate filtering or parameterization. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious payloads through the 'add2' parameter that, when processed by the vulnerable application, get executed as sql commands against the underlying database engine. This unfiltered input processing creates a persistent security risk that can be exploited by anyone with access to the affected web application interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to encompass complete database compromise and potential system infiltration. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to extract sensitive user information, modify database records, execute administrative commands, or even escalate privileges within the application environment. The unauthenticated nature of the attack means that no valid credentials are required to exploit the vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous as it can be targeted by automated scanning tools and malicious actors without prior access to the system. This exposure creates significant risk for user privacy and application integrity, potentially leading to data breaches and unauthorized system modifications that could affect the entire online art gallery platform.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-44376 should prioritize immediate implementation of proper input validation and parameterized queries to prevent sql injection attacks. The application developers must implement strict input sanitization for all user-supplied parameters including the 'add2' parameter in header.php, ensuring that any potentially malicious characters are either filtered or properly escaped before database processing occurs. Additionally, the implementation of prepared statements and parameterized queries should be enforced throughout the application codebase to prevent similar vulnerabilities from manifesting in other components. Regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar input validation flaws, while application firewalls and intrusion detection systems should be configured to monitor for sql injection patterns and suspicious database access attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to industry standards such as the owasp top ten security risks to prevent sql injection attacks that can compromise entire database systems.