CVE-2020-20796
📋 TL;DR
FlameCMS 3.3.5 contains a SQL injection vulnerability in the /master/article.php endpoint via the 'Id' parameter. This allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands on the database. Any organization using FlameCMS 3.3.5 with the vulnerable endpoint exposed is affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- FlameCMS
📦 What is this software?
Flamecms by Flamecms Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete database compromise including data theft, data manipulation, privilege escalation, and potential remote code execution via database functions.
Likely Case
Unauthorized data access, extraction of sensitive information, and potential authentication bypass.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper input validation and database permissions, though SQL injection attempts may still cause service disruption.
🎯 Exploit Status
SQL injection via URL parameter is well-understood and easily automated. The GitHub issue contains technical details that could facilitate exploitation.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 3.3.6 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/FlameNET/FlameCMS/issues/24
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Backup your current FlameCMS installation and database. 2. Download the latest version from the official repository. 3. Replace the vulnerable /master/article.php file with the patched version. 4. Verify the fix by testing the affected endpoint.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation Filter
allAdd input validation to sanitize the 'Id' parameter before processing
Modify /master/article.php to validate that the Id parameter contains only numeric characters
Web Application Firewall Rule
allBlock SQL injection patterns targeting the /master/article.php endpoint
Add WAF rule to detect and block SQL injection attempts in the Id parameter
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict access to /master/article.php endpoint using network ACLs or authentication
- Implement database user with minimal permissions (read-only if possible) for the application
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Test the /master/article.php endpoint with SQL injection payloads like ' OR '1'='1 in the Id parameterCheck Version:
Check the FlameCMS version in the admin panel or review the software version filesVerify Fix Applied:
Attempt the same SQL injection tests and verify they are properly rejected or sanitized📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual SQL errors in application logs
- Multiple requests to /master/article.php with suspicious parameters
- Database query patterns containing SQL keywords in Id parameter
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to /master/article.php containing SQL injection patterns
- Unusual database connection patterns from the web server
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND uri="/master/article.php" AND (param="Id" AND value MATCHES "(?i)(union|select|insert|update|delete|drop|or|and|--|#|;)")