CVE-2019-8360
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2019-8360 is a SQL injection vulnerability in Themerig Find a Place CMS Directory 1.5 that allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the cate parameter in find/assets/external/data_2.php. This affects all installations of version 1.5 of this CMS software. Attackers can potentially access, modify, or delete database content.
💻 Affected Systems
- Themerig Find a Place CMS Directory
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete database compromise leading to data theft, data destruction, authentication bypass, and potential remote code execution if database functions allow it.
Likely Case
Database information disclosure including user credentials, sensitive business data, and potential privilege escalation.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper input validation, parameterized queries, and database permissions restricting dangerous operations.
🎯 Exploit Status
Public exploit code exists on Packet Storm. The vulnerability requires no authentication and SQL injection is straightforward via URL parameter manipulation.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Unknown
Vendor Advisory: None known
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
No official patch available. Consider upgrading to a newer version if available, or implement workarounds.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation and Sanitization
allAdd proper input validation and parameterized queries to the data_2.php file
Modify find/assets/external/data_2.php to use prepared statements with parameterized queries instead of direct SQL concatenation
File Access Restriction
allRestrict access to the vulnerable file using web server configuration
Add 'Deny from all' to .htaccess in the find/assets/external/ directory for Apache
Use appropriate deny rules for nginx or other web servers
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules
- Restrict database user permissions to minimum required operations
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Test by accessing /find/assets/external/data_2.php?cate=1' and appending SQL injection payloads. Monitor for error messages or unexpected responses.Check Version:
Check CMS version in admin panel or look for version markers in source code filesVerify Fix Applied:
Test the same injection attempts after applying fixes. Verify no SQL errors are returned and input is properly sanitized.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual SQL error messages in web server logs
- Multiple requests to data_2.php with SQL keywords in parameters
- High volume of requests to the vulnerable endpoint
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests containing SQL injection patterns to /find/assets/external/data_2.php
- Unusual database query patterns from web server IP
SIEM Query:
source="web_server_logs" AND uri_path="/find/assets/external/data_2.php" AND (query_string CONTAINS "UNION" OR query_string CONTAINS "SELECT" OR query_string CONTAINS "' OR '")