CVE-2019-25433
📋 TL;DR
XOOPS CMS 2.5.9 contains an unauthenticated SQL injection vulnerability in the gerar_pdf.php endpoint via the cid parameter. Attackers can execute arbitrary SQL queries to extract sensitive database information like user credentials, configuration data, and other stored content. All XOOPS installations running version 2.5.9 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- XOOPS CMS
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete database compromise leading to data theft, privilege escalation, and potential remote code execution if database functions allow it.
Likely Case
Extraction of sensitive data including user credentials, configuration secrets, and content data, potentially enabling further attacks.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if database permissions are restricted and sensitive data is encrypted, though information disclosure still possible.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploit requires simple GET requests with SQL injection payloads in cid parameter.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2.5.10 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://xoops.org/
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Backup your XOOPS installation and database. 2. Download XOOPS 2.5.10 or later from xoops.org. 3. Replace affected files, particularly gerar_pdf.php. 4. Verify the fix by testing the endpoint.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable gerar_pdf.php endpoint
linuxTemporarily block access to the vulnerable file to prevent exploitation.
mv gerar_pdf.php gerar_pdf.php.disabled
chmod 000 gerar_pdf.php.disabled
Web server rewrite rule
allBlock requests to gerar_pdf.php using web server configuration.
For Apache: add 'RewriteRule ^gerar_pdf\.php$ - [F,L]' to .htaccess
For Nginx: add 'location ~* gerar_pdf\.php { return 403; }' to config
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement WAF rules to block SQL injection patterns targeting gerar_pdf.php
- Restrict network access to XOOPS installation to trusted IPs only
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Test by sending GET request to /gerar_pdf.php?cid=1' OR '1'='1 and checking for SQL errors or unexpected responses.Check Version:
Check XOOPS version in mainfile.php or admin panel: grep "XOOPS_VERSION" mainfile.phpVerify Fix Applied:
After patching, test the same request; it should return an error page or sanitized response without SQL errors.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple GET requests to gerar_pdf.php with suspicious cid parameters containing SQL keywords like UNION, SELECT, OR
Network Indicators:
- Unusual database query patterns from web server IP
- Spikes in traffic to gerar_pdf.php endpoint
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND url="*gerar_pdf.php*" AND (cid="*'*" OR cid="*UNION*" OR cid="*SELECT*")