CVE-2026-104408 in Groundhogg Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/05/2026
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in Groundhogg Groundhogg groundhogg allows Blind SQL Injection.This issue affects Groundhogg: from n/a through 4.8.3.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/05/2026
The identified security flaw represents a classic instance of Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command, commonly categorized under the CWE-89 vulnerability class. This specific implementation defect within the Groundhogg plugin allows for Blind SQL Injection attacks against applications that rely on this software component. The vulnerability arises from insufficient validation and sanitization of user-supplied input before it is incorporated into dynamic database queries. When an application constructs SQL statements by concatenating raw user input without employing parameterized queries or prepared statements, it creates a pathway for attackers to manipulate the intended logic of the database command. In this particular case, the flaw affects versions of Groundhogg ranging from its initial release through version 4.8.3, indicating that legacy deployments and older installations are particularly susceptible to exploitation if they have not been updated to include patches addressing this specific input handling deficiency.
The operational impact of a Blind SQL Injection vulnerability differs significantly from standard injection attacks due to the absence of direct error messages or visible data output in the application response. Instead, an attacker must infer information about the database structure and content by observing subtle differences in the application's behavior based on true or false conditions injected into the query. This technique allows adversaries to extract sensitive data such as administrative credentials, personal user information stored within the CRM system, or other proprietary business logic encoded in the backend database. Because Groundhogg is a customer relationship management tool often handling extensive amounts of personally identifiable information and communication logs, the compromise of its underlying database can lead to severe privacy violations, regulatory non-compliance with standards such as GDPR or CCPA, and potential reputational damage for organizations relying on the platform for their marketing automation needs.
From an offensive security perspective, this vulnerability aligns closely with techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically under T1059 which covers Command and Scripting Interpreter activities, and more precisely T1190 which describes Exploitation of Remote Services to achieve initial access or data exfiltration. The blind nature of the injection means that exploitation requires a higher degree of sophistication compared to error-based injections, as it often involves time-delayed payloads or boolean-based logic testing to slowly reconstruct database contents byte by character. This characteristic makes detection more challenging for standard intrusion detection systems that may not monitor for subtle timing variations in HTTP responses or complex logical conditions embedded within SQL queries.
Mitigation strategies must focus on both immediate remediation and long-term defensive coding practices. The primary and most effective mitigation is to upgrade the Groundhogg plugin to a version later than 4.8.3, where developers have presumably implemented proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. For organizations unable to immediately patch their systems due to compatibility constraints or operational dependencies, temporary mitigations should include implementing Web Application Firewall rules that detect common SQL injection patterns in HTTP request parameters. Additionally, database access controls should be tightened by ensuring the application uses a least-privilege account for database connections, thereby limiting the potential damage an attacker can inflict even if they successfully execute malicious queries. Developers must also adopt secure coding standards such as those outlined in OWASP guidelines, specifically prioritizing the use of parameterized queries or stored procedures to ensure that user input is always treated as data rather than executable code within SQL statements.