CVE-2020-24791
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows SQL injection in FUEL CMS 1.4.8 through the 'fuel_replace_id' parameter. Attackers can execute arbitrary SQL commands, potentially compromising the application and database. All systems running the affected version are vulnerable.
💻 Affected Systems
- FUEL CMS
📦 What is this software?
Fuel Cms by Thedaylightstudio
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete database compromise including data theft, modification, deletion, and potential remote code execution on the database server.
Likely Case
Data exfiltration, privilege escalation, and application compromise leading to unauthorized access.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper input validation and database permissions, though SQL injection attempts may still be logged.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploit code is publicly available and requires minimal technical skill to execute.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.4.9 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/daylightstudio/FUEL-CMS/issues/561
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Backup your database and application files. 2. Download FUEL CMS 1.4.9 or later from the official repository. 3. Replace the vulnerable files with the patched version. 4. Verify the fix by testing the affected endpoint.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation Filter
allAdd input validation to sanitize the 'fuel_replace_id' parameter before processing.
Modify the relevant controller to validate that fuel_replace_id contains only numeric characters
WAF Rule
allImplement a web application firewall rule to block SQL injection patterns in the fuel_replace_id parameter.
Add WAF rule: Detect and block SQL injection patterns in POST/PUT parameters
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict access to the pages/replace/1 endpoint using firewall rules or authentication.
- Implement database-level controls: use least privilege accounts, enable query logging, and monitor for suspicious SQL activity.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Test the pages/replace/1 endpoint with SQL injection payloads in the fuel_replace_id parameter and observe database errors or unexpected behavior.Check Version:
Check the FUEL CMS version in the application configuration or admin panel, typically in application/config/version.phpVerify Fix Applied:
After patching, attempt the same SQL injection tests and verify they are blocked or sanitized without affecting functionality.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- SQL syntax errors in application logs
- Unusual database queries from the web application
- Multiple failed requests to pages/replace/1 with suspicious parameters
Network Indicators:
- HTTP POST/PUT requests to pages/replace/1 containing SQL keywords in parameters
- Unusual database traffic patterns from the web server
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND uri="/pages/replace/1" AND (param="fuel_replace_id" AND value MATCHES "(?i)(SELECT|UNION|INSERT|UPDATE|DELETE|DROP|OR|AND)")🔗 References
- https://github.com/daylightstudio/FUEL-CMS/issues/561
- https://github.com/leerina/vulnerability/blob/master/Fuel%20CMS%201.4.8%20SQLi%20vulnerability.txt
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/48778
- https://github.com/daylightstudio/FUEL-CMS/issues/561
- https://github.com/leerina/vulnerability/blob/master/Fuel%20CMS%201.4.8%20SQLi%20vulnerability.txt
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/48778
