CVE-2017-1000067: MODX Revolution blind SQL injection

Sponsored Habilume Habit tracker with a companion that grows with you Complete habits, earn Lume Points, and watch your Lume grow as you stay consistent. App Store Google Play

Background

MODX Revolution is an open-source content management system (CMS) that allows users to create and manage websites. It provides a flexible and extensible platform for developers to build and customize websites according to their requirements. However, versions 2.x - 2.5.6 of MODX Revolution are vulnerable to blind SQL injection. This vulnerability arises due to improper sanitization by the escape method, which can be exploited by an authenticated user to gain unauthorized access to the database and potentially escalate privileges.

Vulnerability Detail

The blind SQL injection vulnerability in MODX Revolution allows an attacker with authenticated access to the system to execute arbitrary SQL queries. By exploiting this vulnerability, an attacker can extract sensitive information from the database, modify or delete data, and potentially gain administrative privileges. The vulnerability is caused by the escape method failing to properly sanitize user-supplied input, allowing malicious SQL statements to be executed.

composer require modx/revolution:2.6.0

Workaround

If upgrading to a fixed version is not immediately possible, a temporary workaround is to implement input validation and parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection attacks. This involves validating user input to ensure it conforms to expected formats and using prepared statements or parameterized queries to separate SQL code from user-supplied data. Here is an example of using parameterized queries in PHP:

$pdo = new PDO('mysql:host=localhost;dbname=mydatabase', 'username', 'password');
$stmt = $pdo->prepare('SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = :username');
$stmt->bindParam(':username', $username);
$stmt->execute();
$result = $stmt->fetchAll();

Conclusion

MODX Revolution versions 2.x - 2.5.6 are vulnerable to blind SQL injection, which can be exploited by an authenticated user to gain unauthorized access to the database and potentially escalate privileges. It is crucial to upgrade to a fixed version (2.6.0 or later) or implement workarounds such as input validation and parameterized queries to mitigate the risk. For further assistance in vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.

See every vulnerability recorded for modx/revolution →

FAQ