Summary
SuiteCRM's Projects Controller builds a SQL query using an authenticated caller's task_id without parameterizing the value. A low-privileged user may exploit this blind SQL injection to enumerate the database schema and retrieve sensitive database contents.
SuiteCRM's Projects Controller builds a SQL query using an authenticated caller's task_id without parameterizing the value. A low-privileged user may exploit this blind SQL injection to enumerate the database schema and retrieve sensitive database contents.
Affected context
The issue occurs in the get_end_date action of the Projects Controller in affected SuiteCRM releases. It becomes risky when an authenticated user can provide a task_id value that is incorporated into a SQL query without safe parameter binding.
The issue occurs in the get_end_date action of the Projects Controller in affected SuiteCRM releases. It becomes risky when an authenticated user can provide a task_id value that is incorporated into a SQL query without safe parameter binding.
Exploit preconditions
- Attack surface: The
get_end_dateaction in the Projects Controller - Required access: An authenticated account; the description indicates that low-privileged users may be able to exploit the issue
- Trigger point: Processing of the caller-provided
task_idvalue - Why exploitation is possible: The value is concatenated into a SQL query rather than being handled as a parameter, allowing SQL injection and blind inference
- Attack surface: The
get_end_dateaction in the Projects Controller - Required access: An authenticated account; the description indicates that low-privileged users may be able to exploit the issue
- Trigger point: Processing of the caller-provided
task_idvalue - Why exploitation is possible: The value is concatenated into a SQL query rather than being handled as a parameter, allowing SQL injection and blind inference
Why this happens
The underlying bug is unsafe construction of a database query from caller-controlled input. Concatenating task_id into SQL without parameterization allows input to alter query behavior, which maps to CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection').
The underlying bug is unsafe construction of a database query from caller-controlled input. Concatenating task_id into SQL without parameterization allows input to alter query behavior, which maps to CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection').
Potential impact
- An attacker may enumerate database schemas through blind SQL injection.
- Database credentials and customer records could be exposed.
- Other database contents may be read, potentially affecting confidentiality and privacy.
- An attacker may enumerate database schemas through blind SQL injection.
- Database credentials and customer records could be exposed.
- Other database contents may be read, potentially affecting confidentiality and privacy.
General mitigation guidance
Common defensive patterns include:
- Use parameterized queries or prepared statements for all caller-controlled values.
- Treat identifiers and other request data as untrusted, even when submitted by authenticated users.
- Apply strict type and range validation as a supplementary control, not as a replacement for parameterization.
- Restrict database accounts to the minimum permissions required by the application.
- Avoid exposing detailed database errors or behavior that could aid inference.
Common defensive patterns include:
- Use parameterized queries or prepared statements for all caller-controlled values.
- Treat identifiers and other request data as untrusted, even when submitted by authenticated users.
- Apply strict type and range validation as a supplementary control, not as a replacement for parameterization.
- Restrict database accounts to the minimum permissions required by the application.
- Avoid exposing detailed database errors or behavior that could aid inference.
How teams detect issues like this
- Use static analysis to identify SQL statements built through string concatenation with request-derived values.
- Review controller actions and data-access code for queries that interpolate user-controlled identifiers.
- Enforce code-review and CI policies requiring parameterized database access.
- Monitor for unusual query patterns, repeated requests, or database access inconsistent with normal application behavior.
- Automated security review tools can help flag unsafe query construction for human review.
- Use static analysis to identify SQL statements built through string concatenation with request-derived values.
- Review controller actions and data-access code for queries that interpolate user-controlled identifiers.
- Enforce code-review and CI policies requiring parameterized database access.
- Monitor for unusual query patterns, repeated requests, or database access inconsistent with normal application behavior.
- Automated security review tools can help flag unsafe query construction for human review.
