CVE-2021-44135
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2021-44135 is a SQL injection vulnerability in PageKit CMS that allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the comment listing functionality. This affects all PageKit versions as of October 15, 2021. Attackers can potentially access, modify, or delete database content.
💻 Affected Systems
- PageKit CMS
📦 What is this software?
Pagekit by Pagekit
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete database compromise leading to data theft, data destruction, or full system takeover via SQL injection to RCE chaining.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to sensitive data in the database, including user credentials, personal information, and CMS configuration.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper input validation and parameterized queries preventing SQL injection.
🎯 Exploit Status
SQL injection via comment listing endpoint requires minimal technical skill. Public proof-of-concept exists on huntr.dev.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Not version-specific - requires manual code fix
Vendor Advisory: https://huntr.dev/bounties/82f09b08-ceeb-4249-8855-b8bc718c4868/
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Review the huntr.dev advisory for technical details. 2. Apply input validation and parameterized queries to comment listing functionality. 3. Consider migrating to a maintained CMS if PageKit is no longer supported.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Comments
allTemporarily disable comment functionality to remove attack vector
Edit PageKit configuration to disable comments or remove comment-related routes
Web Application Firewall Rules
allImplement WAF rules to block SQL injection patterns
Add WAF rules to detect and block SQL injection attempts in comment parameters
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict input validation and sanitization for all comment-related parameters
- Deploy a web application firewall with SQL injection detection rules
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Test comment listing functionality with SQL injection payloads or check if running unpatched PageKit versionCheck Version:
Check PageKit version in admin panel or via composer show pagekit/pagekitVerify Fix Applied:
Test comment listing with SQL injection payloads to confirm they are properly sanitized📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- SQL syntax errors in web server logs
- Unusual comment listing requests with SQL keywords
- Multiple failed comment listing attempts
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to comment endpoints containing SQL injection patterns
- Unusual database query patterns from web application
SIEM Query:
web_logs | where url contains "/comment" and (request contains "UNION" or request contains "SELECT" or request contains "INSERT" or request contains "DELETE")