The latest vulnerability affecting Subrion CMS 4.2.1, identified as CVE-2024-25400, has been reported as a result of an SQL injection that arises through the ia.core.mysqli.php file. However, it has been disputed by multiple external sources and organizations, implying that the original finding could be faulty or incomplete. In this post, we will dive deep into this vulnerability, analyzing the exploit details, the controversy surrounding the issue, and prevention strategies if found to be genuinely vulnerable.

Exploit Details

The vulnerability is described as an SQL Injection within the Subrion CMS 4.2.1 system, specifically targeting the ia.core.mysqli.php file. SQL Injections have been a prominent threat to web applications, as they allow an attacker to remotely execute SQL commands on the target system, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data, manipulation of the database, or even compromising the entire system.

Upon reviewing the ia.core.mysqli.php file, we find that it only contains a class, and there is no mechanism for accepting external input. Additionally, the method mentioned in the original report is not present within this specific file. Here is a snippet of the ia.core.mysqli.php file:

class iaMysqli extends mysqli
{
    ...
}

Now, considering this information, it raises questions regarding whether the mentioned vulnerability truly exists. Several external sources have disputed the original findings, citing the absence of injectable mechanisms and the lack of the vulnerable method within the file in question.

Original References

The original security researcher who discovered this vulnerability credited the issue to an SQL injection within the ia.core.mysqli.php file in Subrion CMS 4.2.1. Here are the links to the original reference and vulnerability disclosure:
- Vulnerability Report by the Security Researcher
- CVE-2024-25400 on National Vulnerability Database (NVD)

Controversy and Disputes

Given that multiple third parties have scrutinized the original findings, it's essential to view this alleged vulnerability with a degree of skepticism. The foremost issue in the dispute arises from the reported PHP file lacking any mechanism that would allow external input or an SQL injection. Furthermore, the method claimed to be vulnerable is not even present in the file. As a result, multiple parties have not accepted this vulnerability as genuine and pose concerns about its authenticity.

Prevention Strategies (If found to be genuinely vulnerable)

If further investigations establish the existence of this vulnerability within Subrion CMS 4.2.1, we recommend the following best practices and strategies to mitigate the risk of an SQL injection:

1. Update to the latest version of Subrion CMS: Always ensure you are using the most recent version of the software, as updates often include security patches for known vulnerabilities.
2. Implement input validation: Strictly validate external inputs to ensure that only valid data types and characters are accepted.
3. Use prepared statements: Utilize parametrized queries and prepared statements, like PDO or MySQLi, to reduce the risk of SQL injection.
4. Escaping user inputs: Employ escaping methods for user-supplied input data before inserting it into the SQL query.
5. Conduct regular audits: Perform thorough code reviews to identify instances of insecure code practices which may result in SQL injection vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

The Subrion CMS 4.2.1 SQL Injection vulnerability, referred to as CVE-2024-25400, is currently disputed by multiple third parties due to questions about the accuracy and validity of the original findings. As of now, there is no concrete evidence to suggest that the alleged vulnerability is genuine. However, should future investigations prove its authenticity, users can utilize the best practices and prevention strategies mentioned above to mitigate the risk of an SQL injection attack.

Timeline

Published on: 02/27/2024 16:15:46 UTC
Last modified on: 11/21/2024 09:00:44 UTC