CVE-2023-26922
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2023-26922 is a critical SQL injection vulnerability in Varisicte matrix-gui v.2 that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via the shell_exect parameter. This affects all systems running the vulnerable matrix-gui web interface, potentially giving attackers complete control over affected devices.
💻 Affected Systems
- Varisicte matrix-gui
📦 What is this software?
Matrix Gui by Variscite
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise allowing attackers to execute arbitrary commands, steal sensitive data, install malware, or pivot to other network systems.
Likely Case
Remote code execution leading to data exfiltration, system manipulation, or deployment of ransomware/cryptominers.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper network segmentation, WAF rules, and input validation are in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
The vulnerability is straightforward to exploit via crafted HTTP requests to the vulnerable endpoint with SQL injection payloads.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check vendor for specific patched version
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/varigit/matrix-gui-v2/issues/1
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check with device vendor for updated firmware/software. 2. Apply vendor-provided patches. 3. Restart the matrix-gui service or entire device.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Web Application Firewall (WAF) Rules
allImplement WAF rules to block SQL injection patterns targeting the /www/pages/matrix-gui-2.0 endpoint.
# Example mod_security rule: SecRule ARGS:shell_exect "@detectSQLi" "id:1001,phase:2,deny"
Network Access Control
linuxRestrict access to the matrix-gui interface to trusted IP addresses only.
# Example iptables rule: iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -s TRUSTED_IP -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -j DROP
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable or block access to the matrix-gui web interface entirely if not required.
- Implement strict input validation and parameterized queries in the application code if source access is available.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Test by sending a crafted HTTP request to http://[target]/www/pages/matrix-gui-2.0 with shell_exect parameter containing SQL injection payloads (use authorized testing only).Check Version:
Check the matrix-gui version via web interface or system package manager: dpkg -l | grep matrix-gui (Debian-based) or rpm -qa | grep matrix-gui (RPM-based)Verify Fix Applied:
Verify the patch by testing that SQL injection payloads no longer execute and that input validation is properly implemented.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual SQL queries in application logs
- HTTP requests to /www/pages/matrix-gui-2.0 with suspicious shell_exect parameter values
- Error messages containing SQL syntax errors
Network Indicators:
- HTTP POST/GET requests to the vulnerable endpoint with SQL keywords (UNION, SELECT, etc.) in parameters
- Unusual outbound connections from the device post-exploitation
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND uri="/www/pages/matrix-gui-2.0" AND (param="shell_exect" AND value MATCHES "(?i)(union|select|insert|delete|update|drop|exec)")