CVE-2023-36813
📋 TL;DR
This SQL injection vulnerability in Kanboard allows authenticated users to execute arbitrary SQL queries, potentially leading to privilege escalation or unauthorized data access. All Kanboard instances running versions before 1.2.31 are affected. The vulnerability stems from improper use of the PicoDB library in insert/update operations.
💻 Affected Systems
- Kanboard
📦 What is this software?
Kanboard by Kanboard
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise where an authenticated attacker gains administrative privileges, accesses all project data, modifies or deletes database content, and potentially executes arbitrary code on the underlying database server.
Likely Case
Authenticated users escalating privileges to gain unauthorized access to other users' projects, sensitive data exposure, and potential data manipulation within the Kanboard application.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper input validation, parameterized queries, and database user privilege restrictions preventing data modification or system-level access.
🎯 Exploit Status
SQL injection vulnerabilities are commonly weaponized; authenticated access requirement reduces attack surface but doesn't prevent exploitation by malicious insiders or compromised accounts.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.2.31
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/kanboard/kanboard/security/advisories/GHSA-9gvq-78jp-jxcx
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Backup your Kanboard installation and database. 2. Download Kanboard v1.2.31 from official repository. 3. Replace existing installation files with new version. 4. Restart web server (Apache/Nginx). 5. Verify functionality.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation Enhancement
allImplement additional input validation for all user-supplied parameters in Kanboard code
Manual code review and modification required
Database User Privilege Reduction
linuxRestrict database user permissions to SELECT only where possible
GRANT SELECT ON kanboard.* TO 'kanboard_user'@'localhost';
REVOKE INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, DROP ON kanboard.* FROM 'kanboard_user'@'localhost';
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) with SQL injection rules
- Restrict network access to Kanboard to trusted users only
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Kanboard version in config.php or via web interface; if version < 1.2.31, system is vulnerableCheck Version:
grep "define('APP_VERSION'" config.php | cut -d"'" -f4Verify Fix Applied:
Confirm version is 1.2.31 or higher and test application functionality📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual SQL query patterns in database logs
- Multiple failed login attempts followed by SQL errors
- Unexpected privilege changes in user accounts
Network Indicators:
- Unusual database connection patterns from web server
- SQL error messages in HTTP responses
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND ("SQL syntax" OR "mysql_error" OR "database error") AND uri="*/kanboard/*"🔗 References
- https://github.com/kanboard/kanboard/commit/25b93343baeaf8ad018dcd87b094e47a5c6a3e0a
- https://github.com/kanboard/kanboard/releases/tag/v1.2.31
- https://github.com/kanboard/kanboard/security/advisories/GHSA-9gvq-78jp-jxcx
- https://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5454
- https://github.com/kanboard/kanboard/commit/25b93343baeaf8ad018dcd87b094e47a5c6a3e0a
- https://github.com/kanboard/kanboard/releases/tag/v1.2.31
- https://github.com/kanboard/kanboard/security/advisories/GHSA-9gvq-78jp-jxcx
- https://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5454
