CVE-2020-18716
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2020-18716 is a critical SQL injection vulnerability in Rockoa v1.8.7 that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands through insufficient parameter filtering in wordAction.php. This enables attackers to gain administrative privileges, access sensitive data, or compromise the entire database. All organizations running Rockoa v1.8.7 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Rockoa
📦 What is this software?
Rockoa by Rockoa
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise including database takeover, data exfiltration, privilege escalation to admin, and potential lateral movement to other systems.
Likely Case
Attackers gain administrative access to the Rockoa application, steal sensitive business data, and potentially execute arbitrary commands on the database server.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper input validation, parameterized queries, and web application firewall rules blocking SQL injection patterns.
🎯 Exploit Status
SQL injection vulnerabilities are commonly weaponized, and this specific vulnerability has public proof-of-concept available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: v1.8.8 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/rockoa/rockoa/releases
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Backup your current Rockoa installation and database. 2. Download the latest version from the official repository. 3. Replace the vulnerable wordAction.php file with the patched version. 4. Verify the fix by testing parameter inputs.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation Filter
allImplement strict input validation for all parameters passed to wordAction.php
Modify wordAction.php to add parameter sanitization: $param = mysqli_real_escape_string($connection, $_GET['param']);
WAF Rule Implementation
allDeploy web application firewall rules to block SQL injection patterns
Add WAF rule: SecRule ARGS "@detectSQLi" "id:1001,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'SQL Injection Attempt'"
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network segmentation to isolate Rockoa from critical systems
- Deploy a web application firewall with SQL injection detection rules
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if your Rockoa installation is version 1.8.7 and examine wordAction.php for proper parameter filteringCheck Version:
Check Rockoa version in admin panel or examine version files in installation directoryVerify Fix Applied:
Test parameter inputs with SQL injection payloads (e.g., ' OR '1'='1) and verify they are properly sanitized or rejected📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual SQL queries in database logs
- Multiple failed login attempts from wordAction.php
- Suspicious parameter values containing SQL keywords
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to wordAction.php with SQL injection patterns
- Unusual database connection patterns from web server
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND uri="*wordAction.php*" AND (param="*' OR*" OR param="*UNION SELECT*" OR param="*DROP TABLE*")