CVE-2026-57821 in Fineract
Summary
by MITRE • 07/15/2026
A SQL Injection vulnerability exists in Apache Fineract's Office Search API (GET /api/v1/offices) in versions up to and including 1.14.0. The orderBy request parameter is concatenated into a SQL query without sufficient validation, allowing an authenticated user with permission to view offices to inject arbitrary SQL via a crafted orderBy value. This is a bypass of the ColumnValidator fix introduced for CVE-2024-32838, which does not detect bare subqueries in the ORDER BY position. This can be leveraged to perform time-based blind SQL injection for data exfiltration. Because the injected query blocks the database connection for its full duration, concurrent exploitation can exhaust the application's database connection pool, resulting in denial of service for other users. Users are recommended to upgrade to a version containing the fix.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/15/2026
The vulnerability described represents a critical SQL injection flaw within Apache Fineract's Office Search API that affects versions through 1.14.0. This issue specifically targets the GET /api/v1/offices endpoint where the orderBy request parameter is improperly handled, creating an avenue for malicious input to be directly embedded into SQL queries without adequate sanitization or validation mechanisms. The flaw allows authenticated users with appropriate permissions to manipulate database queries through crafted orderBy values, effectively bypassing previous security measures designed to address similar issues.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the ColumnValidator mechanism that was previously implemented to address CVE-2024-32838. This particular bypass occurs because the current validation does not detect bare subqueries that can be injected into the ORDER BY clause of SQL statements. The vulnerability operates through time-based blind SQL injection techniques where malicious payloads are constructed to cause database operations to delay execution, enabling data exfiltration through timing mechanisms. This approach allows attackers to extract information from the database without direct output redirection, making detection more challenging.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to include significant service disruption capabilities. When exploited, the injected SQL queries cause database connections to remain blocked for their full execution duration, leading to resource exhaustion within the application's connection pool. This denial of service condition affects not only the attacker's ability to perform further exploitation but also impacts legitimate users who may experience complete service unavailability. The cascading effect of database connection exhaustion can potentially bring the entire office search functionality to a halt, affecting business operations and user access.
Organizations utilizing affected versions of Apache Fineract should immediately implement mitigation strategies including upgrading to patched versions that properly address both the original vulnerability and its bypass mechanism. The fix should incorporate comprehensive input validation that specifically addresses subquery injection patterns in ORDER BY clauses, ensuring that all user-supplied parameters are properly sanitized before database query construction. Security teams must also consider implementing additional monitoring for unusual database query patterns and connection pool utilization that could indicate exploitation attempts.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-89 SQL Injection and represents a specific variant of the broader category of injection flaws that attackers frequently target. The bypass mechanism demonstrates how security controls can be circumvented through creative input manipulation, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive validation rather than defensive measures focused on known attack patterns. This issue also maps to ATT&CK technique T1071.004 Application Layer Protocol: DNS where database query manipulation could potentially be used for exfiltration of data through indirect means.
The vulnerability underscores the critical need for robust input validation mechanisms within API endpoints that handle dynamic query parameters, particularly in financial applications where data integrity and system availability are paramount. Organizations should implement principle of least privilege controls to limit the scope of potential damage from such vulnerabilities while maintaining appropriate audit logging to detect exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should include evaluation of parameter handling within database interfaces to identify similar bypass opportunities that may exist in other application components.