CVE-2026-96272 in ClipBucket
Summary
by MITRE • 09/23/2026
ClipBucket v5 before 5.5.3-#182 contains a blind SQL injection vulnerability in the photo search endpoint where the query parameter is passed unsanitized into SQL WHERE and ORDER BY clauses. Unauthenticated attackers can exploit time-based blind SQL injection techniques to extract user credentials, email addresses, and administrator password hashes for account takeover.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/23/2026
The ClipBucket content management system, specifically versions prior to 5.5.3-#182, contains a critical security flaw classified as a Blind Structured Query Language Injection vulnerability within its photo search functionality. This weakness stems from the application's failure to properly sanitize or validate user-supplied input before incorporating it into backend database queries. The specific point of entry is the query parameter used in the photo search endpoint, which accepts data directly without adequate filtering mechanisms such as prepared statements or strict type checking. Consequently, this allows an unauthenticated attacker to inject malicious SQL code that alters the logic of the underlying database operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves both WHERE and ORDER BY clauses within the SQL query structure. In standard web application security assessments, injection into a WHERE clause typically affects data retrieval conditions, while injection into an ORDER BY clause impacts how results are sorted or presented to the user. The combination of these two vectors significantly expands the attack surface. Attackers can leverage time-based blind techniques, which rely on introducing delays in database responses based on conditional logic evaluations. By carefully crafting payloads that trigger measurable latency differences when true and false conditions are met, an attacker can systematically extract data character by character without receiving direct error messages or visible output changes in the application interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its unauthenticated nature. Since no prior authentication is required to exploit the flaw, any internet user with access to the ClipBucket instance can initiate attacks against it. The primary consequence is the unauthorized extraction of sensitive data from the backend database. This includes extracting user credentials and email addresses for general accounts, which facilitates phishing campaigns or credential stuffing attacks on other platforms where users may have reused passwords. More critically, the vulnerability allows attackers to extract administrator password hashes. Possession of these hashes enables offline brute-force cracking attempts, leading to full administrative account takeover. Once an attacker gains admin privileges, they can modify site configurations, inject malicious scripts into pages for cross-site scripting attacks, or exfiltrate all stored user data and media files.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-89 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command, commonly known as SQL Injection. The specific exploitation method described falls under the category of Blind SQL Injection, where information is inferred through side channels like response time rather than direct output display. In terms of threat modeling and adversary behavior mapping according to MITRE ATT&CK frameworks, this activity corresponds to T1059 Command Scripting if scripts are used for automation, but more accurately maps to T1114 Email Collection or T1078 Valid Accounts depending on the stage of exploitation. The initial access phase is characterized by T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application, as the vulnerability exists in a component accessible over the network without authentication.
Mitigation strategies must focus on immediate remediation and long-term secure coding practices. The most effective solution is to upgrade ClipBucket to version 5.5.3-#182 or later, where this specific input validation flaw has been addressed by the developers. For organizations unable to patch immediately due to compatibility constraints, implementing a Web Application Firewall can provide temporary relief by detecting and blocking common SQL injection patterns in HTTP requests targeting the photo search endpoint. However, reliance on WAFs is not a substitute for code-level fixes because sophisticated attackers may use encoding techniques or obfuscation methods that bypass signature-based detection rules.
Long-term security improvements should involve adopting parameterized queries or prepared statements throughout the application's database interaction layer. This ensures that user input is treated strictly as data rather than executable code, effectively neutralizing injection attempts regardless of their content. Additionally, implementing strict input validation policies that whitelist expected characters for search parameters can further reduce risk. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other endpoints where unsanitized inputs are processed by the database engine.