CVE-2023-49968 in Customer Support System
Summary
by MITRE • 03/05/2024
Customer Support System v1 was discovered to contain a SQL injection vulnerability via the id parameter at /customer_support/manage_department.php.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/30/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-49968 affects Customer Support System version 1 and represents a critical SQL injection flaw that compromises the integrity of the application's database layer. This vulnerability exists within the manage_department.php script where the id parameter is directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization. The flaw allows an attacker to manipulate the database query structure through malicious input, potentially enabling unauthorized access to sensitive customer data, modification of department records, or complete database compromise. The vulnerability is classified as CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection weaknesses where untrusted data is concatenated into SQL commands without proper validation or escaping mechanisms. This weakness directly violates the principle of least privilege and data integrity protection that security frameworks such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001 mandate for database security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to encompass potential system compromise and business disruption. An attacker exploiting this flaw could extract confidential customer information including personal details, support tickets, department hierarchies, and potentially administrative credentials stored within the database. The vulnerability also enables privilege escalation attacks where an attacker might manipulate department assignments to gain unauthorized access to restricted support areas. According to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS) and T1566.001 (Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment) as attackers might leverage this weakness after initial compromise through social engineering tactics. The database access could also facilitate data exfiltration via T1041 (Exfiltration Over C2 Channel) or T1005 (Data from Local System) techniques, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where customer support systems contain sensitive personal information.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-49968 require immediate implementation of proper input validation and parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection exploitation. The recommended approach involves replacing direct string concatenation with prepared statements or parameterized queries that separate SQL command structure from data values. Additionally, implementing proper input sanitization routines, output encoding, and least privilege database access controls will significantly reduce the attack surface. Security measures should include regular database query auditing, implementation of web application firewalls, and comprehensive penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities across the application stack. Organizations should also consider implementing database activity monitoring tools to detect anomalous query patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in OWASP Top Ten and the Software Assurance Maturity Model, where proper input validation and output encoding are fundamental requirements for preventing injection vulnerabilities. Regular security updates and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to maintain the system's security posture against evolving threats in the cybersecurity landscape.