CVE-2018-5981 – This SQL injection vulnerability in Gallery WD ... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2018-5981?

CVE-2018-5981 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). This SQL injection vulnerability in Gallery WD 1.3.6 for Joomla! allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the tag_id or gallery_id parameters. This affects all Joomla! installations using the vulnerable Gallery WD component version. Attackers can potentially access, modify, or delete database content.

📋 TL;DR

This SQL injection vulnerability in Gallery WD 1.3.6 for Joomla! allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the tag_id or gallery_id parameters. This affects all Joomla! installations using the vulnerable Gallery WD component version. Attackers can potentially access, modify, or delete database content.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Gallery WD for Joomla!

Versions: 1.3.6 and possibly earlier versions

Operating Systems: All platforms running Joomla!

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires Joomla! CMS with Gallery WD component installed

📦 What is this software?

Gallery Wd by Web Dorado

View all CVEs affecting Gallery Wd →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete database compromise leading to data theft, data destruction, or full system takeover via SQL injection to RCE chaining

🟠

Likely Case

Database information disclosure, authentication bypass, or data manipulation

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact with proper input validation and parameterized queries in place

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - Exploitable via web requests without authentication

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Still exploitable by internal users or compromised accounts

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: CONFIRMED

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Public exploit code available on Exploit-DB, requires minimal technical skill to execute

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 1.3.7 or later

Vendor Advisory: https://extensions.joomla.org/extension/gallery-wd/

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Update Gallery WD component to version 1.3.7 or later via Joomla! Extension Manager. 2. Verify update completes successfully. 3. Clear Joomla! cache.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

WAF Rule Implementation

all

Deploy web application firewall rules to block SQL injection patterns in tag_id and gallery_id parameters

Input Validation Filter

all

Implement input validation to restrict tag_id and gallery_id parameters to expected formats

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Disable or remove Gallery WD component entirely
Implement strict network segmentation and restrict access to affected systems

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check Joomla! Extension Manager for Gallery WD version. If version is 1.3.6 or earlier, system is vulnerable.

Check Version:

Check via Joomla! admin panel: Extensions → Manage → Manage

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm Gallery WD version is 1.3.7 or later in Joomla! Extension Manager

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unusual SQL error messages in web logs
Multiple requests with SQL injection patterns in parameters
Unexpected database queries from web application

Network Indicators:

HTTP requests containing SQL keywords in tag_id or gallery_id parameters
Unusual database connection patterns from web server

SIEM Query:

web.url:*tag_id=*SELECT* OR web.url:*gallery_id=*UNION* OR web.url:*tag_id=*OR*1=1*

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2018-5981

CVSS v3 Score: 9.8 (CRITICAL)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-89

Published: February 17, 2018

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

https://exploit-db.com/exploits/44112 Exploit,Third Party Advisory,VDB Entry
https://exploit-db.com/exploits/44112 Exploit,Third Party Advisory,VDB Entry

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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