CVE-2026-88397 in ApiAdmin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/05/2026
ApiAdmin v.5.0 and before is vulnerable to SQL Injection in the user-list endpoint GET /admin/User/getUsers via the gid parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/05/2026
The vulnerability identified in ApiAdmin version 5.0 and earlier represents a critical security flaw within the application's administrative interface, specifically targeting the user management functionality. This issue manifests as an Unrestricted Upload of Functionality with Critical Elements or more accurately classified under CWE-89 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command commonly known as SQL Injection. The attack vector is located at the GET /admin/User/getUsers endpoint, which relies on the gid parameter to filter and retrieve user data from the backend database. Because this input field fails to properly sanitize or validate incoming data before incorporating it into dynamic SQL queries, attackers can inject malicious SQL code that alters the intended logic of the query. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in administrative interfaces because successful exploitation often grants access to sensitive system information with elevated privileges.
From a technical perspective, the flaw stems from the application's failure to implement parameterized queries or prepared statements when handling the gid input. Instead, the developer likely concatenated user-supplied data directly into an SQL string. For instance, if the backend executes a query like SELECT FROM users WHERE group_id = 'gid', and an attacker supplies a value such as 1 OR 1=1--, the resulting query becomes SELECT FROM users WHERE group_id = '1' OR 1=1--'. This modification causes the database to return all records in the user table, bypassing any intended filtering logic. Beyond simple data exfiltration, sophisticated attackers can leverage this injection point for Union-based attacks to extract schema information, or even potentially execute commands on the underlying operating system if the database engine permits it and has appropriate permissions configured. This aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter when used in conjunction with other exploits, but primarily falls under T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application as this endpoint is accessible via HTTP requests from external sources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to the nature of the targeted component. The user-list endpoint typically contains metadata about all registered users, including usernames, email addresses, account statuses, and potentially hashed passwords or security question answers depending on the application's design. An attacker exploiting this SQL injection can perform a comprehensive data breach by dumping the entire user database. This information is highly valuable for subsequent attacks such as credential stuffing, phishing campaigns, or social engineering efforts aimed at specific high-privilege accounts within the organization. Furthermore, if the underlying database server allows xp_cmdshell execution in Microsoft SQL Server or similar features in other databases, the attacker could achieve Remote Code Execution (RCE), effectively taking full control of the server hosting the application. This transforms a data exposure issue into a complete system compromise scenario.
Mitigation strategies must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. The primary fix involves refactoring the backend code to use parameterized queries or stored procedures for all database interactions involving user input. In this specific case, the gid parameter should be bound as a typed variable rather than concatenated into a string literal. Additionally, implementing strict input validation is essential; while not sufficient on its own, whitelisting expected integer formats for the gid parameter can prevent many injection attempts at the application layer. Deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules tuned to detect SQL injection patterns provides an additional layer of defense by blocking malicious payloads before they reach the application logic. Regular security audits and static code analysis tools should be integrated into the development lifecycle to identify such vulnerabilities early. Finally, ensuring that the database account used by the web application operates under the principle of least privilege limits the potential damage even if an injection succeeds, preventing attackers from accessing unrelated databases or executing administrative commands on the server itself.