CVE-2021-43481
📋 TL;DR
This is a critical SQL injection vulnerability in Webtareas project management software. Attackers can inject malicious SQL commands via the $uq parameter in editapprovalstage.php, potentially compromising the database. All users running Webtareas 2.4p3 or earlier are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Webtareas
📦 What is this software?
Webtareas by Webtareas Project
Webtareas by Webtareas Project
Webtareas by Webtareas Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete database compromise including data theft, data manipulation, authentication bypass, and potential remote code execution on the database server.
Likely Case
Unauthorized data access, data exfiltration, and potential privilege escalation within the application.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper input validation and parameterized queries preventing SQL injection.
🎯 Exploit Status
Public exploit code available, requires HTTP POST request to vulnerable endpoint.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Unknown
Vendor Advisory: https://sourceforge.net/projects/webtareas/
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
No official patch available. Consider upgrading to latest version if available, or implement workarounds.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation Filter
allAdd input validation to sanitize the $uq parameter before processing
Edit editapprovalstage.php to add: $uq = filter_var($_POST['uq'], FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING);
WAF Rule
allImplement web application firewall rules to block SQL injection patterns
Add WAF rule: Detect and block requests containing SQL keywords in $uq parameter
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable or restrict access to editapprovalstage.php file
- Implement network segmentation to isolate Webtareas server from sensitive databases
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if editapprovalstage.php exists and contains unsanitized $_POST['uq'] usageCheck Version:
Check Webtareas version in configuration files or admin panelVerify Fix Applied:
Verify parameterized queries or input validation is implemented for $uq parameter📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual SQL queries in database logs
- Multiple failed login attempts from single IP
- HTTP POST requests to editapprovalstage.php with SQL keywords
Network Indicators:
- HTTP POST requests containing SQL injection payloads
- Unusual outbound database connections
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND uri="*editapprovalstage.php*" AND (request_body="*SELECT*" OR request_body="*UNION*" OR request_body="*OR 1=1*")🔗 References
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/167026/WebTareas-2.4-SQL-Injection.html
- https://behradtaher.dev/2021/11/05/Discovering-a-Blind-SQL-Injection-Whitebox-Approach/
- https://sourceforge.net/projects/webtareas/
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/167026/WebTareas-2.4-SQL-Injection.html
- https://behradtaher.dev/2021/11/05/Discovering-a-Blind-SQL-Injection-Whitebox-Approach/
- https://sourceforge.net/projects/webtareas/
