CVE-2018-15904
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in A10 ACOS Web Application Firewall (WAF) allows SQL injection attacks to bypass the WAF's protection rules, potentially enabling attackers to execute malicious SQL commands against protected web applications. It affects organizations using vulnerable versions of A10 ACOS WAF to protect their web applications.
💻 Affected Systems
- A10 ACOS Web Application Firewall (WAF)
📦 What is this software?
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
Acos Web Application Firewall by A10networks
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers bypass WAF protection and execute arbitrary SQL commands against backend databases, leading to data theft, data manipulation, or complete database compromise.
Likely Case
SQL injection attacks succeed against web applications that would normally be blocked by the WAF, potentially exposing sensitive data or allowing unauthorized access.
If Mitigated
With proper patching and additional security controls, the risk is limited to potential bypass attempts that are detected and blocked by other security layers.
🎯 Exploit Status
SQL injection is a well-understood attack vector, and bypassing WAF protection significantly lowers the barrier for exploitation.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2.7.2-P12, 4.1.0-P11, 4.1.1-P8, 4.1.2-P4 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.a10networks.com/support/security-advisories/waf-sql-injection-attack-sqlia-vulnerability
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download the appropriate patch from A10 support portal. 2. Apply the patch following A10's upgrade procedures. 3. Restart the WAF service. 4. Verify the patch is applied correctly.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Temporary rule adjustment
allAdjust WAF rules to be more restrictive on SQL patterns while waiting for patch
Configure additional custom rules to block common SQL injection patterns
Network segmentation
allRestrict access to protected web applications to reduce attack surface
Implement firewall rules to limit source IPs accessing protected applications
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement additional web application security controls like input validation at the application layer
- Deploy additional WAF or IPS solutions in front of the vulnerable A10 WAF
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check ACOS version via CLI: 'show version' and compare against affected versionsCheck Version:
show versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version shows patched version (2.7.2-P12, 4.1.0-P11, 4.1.1-P8, 4.1.2-P4 or later)📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- SQL injection attempts that should have been blocked by WAF but weren't
- Unusual database access patterns from web applications
Network Indicators:
- SQL injection payloads in HTTP requests that bypass WAF inspection
SIEM Query:
source="a10_waf" AND (event_type="sql_injection" OR sql_keywords) AND action!="blocked"