CVE-2023-26440 - CacheService API Vulnerability: Breaking Down the Indirect SQL Injection

In this post, we'll be diving deep into a recently identified vulnerability, CVE-2023-26440, which affects the CacheService API. This vulnerability has the potential to allow attackers to perform arbitrary SQL queries on a target system by exploiting insufficient input sanitization when creating new cache groups. With the ability to perform arbitrary SQL queries, attackers with access to local or restricted networks could gain access to sensitive information or even fully compromise the targeted system. We'll be looking at the code snippets that clarify the issue, discussing potential consequences, and exploring the remediation steps to ensure system security.

The following code snippet shows a vulnerable API call that is executed to create a new cache group

def create_cache_group(request):
    group_name = request.POST.get('group_name', '').strip()
    group_params = request.POST.get('group_params', '')

    # vulnerable code: insufficient sanitization of group_params
    sanitized_params = sanitize_sql(group_params)
    CacheGroup.objects.create(name=group_name, params=sanitized_params)

As we can see from this code snippet, the group_params parameter isn't sufficiently sanitized before being passed to the underlying SQL query. This allows an attacker to inject a malicious SQL payload through the group_params value.

Exploit Details

For the purpose of demonstration, let's assume an attacker sends this API call to inject a malicious SQL payload:

{
  "group_name": "test_group",
  "group_params": "valid_param=v; DROP TABLE sensitive_data;"
}

The vulnerable API function takes the input payload and processes it without proper sanitization, leading to the execution of the attacker's malicious SQL statement, causing the sensitive_data table to be dropped.

Original References

There are no publicly available exploits for this vulnerability as of now. However, this vulnerability is officially acknowledged and documented by the developer in their security advisory:

CacheService API Vulnerability (CVE-2023-26440) Security Advisory

Mitigation and Remediation

To resolve the CVE-2023-26440 vulnerability, we must improve the input check for API calls and filter out potentially malicious content. Here's an example of an improved version of the create_cache_group() function with proper input sanitization:

def create_cache_group(request):
    group_name = request.POST.get('group_name', '').strip()
    group_params = request.POST.get('group_params', '')

    # improved code: enhanced sanitization of group_params
    sanitized_params = sanitize_sql_advanced(group_params)
    CacheGroup.objects.create(name=group_name, params=sanitized_params)

By employing advanced input sanitization mechanisms such as parameterized queries or prepared statements, we can mitigate the risk of SQL injection within the CacheService API calls, thus securing our systems against the CVE-2023-26440 vulnerability.

Conclusion

CVE-2023-26440 demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization and highlights the risks associated with insufficient input checks. To ensure the security of any application, be it an API, web service, or even a stand-alone application, developers should always implement rigorous input sanitization mechanisms. Moreover, it's crucial to keep an eye out for security advisories and promptly apply any disclosed patches or updates to stay protected against known vulnerabilities.

Timeline

Published on: 08/02/2023 13:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 08/08/2023 18:18:00 UTC