CVE-2017-20249: Apptha Slider Gallery SQL Injection Vulnerability

Technical summary

CVE-2017-20249 is an unauthenticated SQL injection vulnerability in Apptha Slider Gallery 1.0 affecting the albid parameter. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation on GET request parameters, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary SQL code that the application executes against the backend database without sanitization. The CVSS 3.1 score of 8.2 (HIGH) reflects high confidentiality impact (C:H), low integrity impact (I:L), and no availability impact (A:N), with network-accessible attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), and no privilege or user interaction requirements (PR:N, UI:N). This is classified under CWE-89 (SQL Injection).

Business impact

Organizations running Apptha Slider Gallery 1.0 face direct risk of user account compromise through credential theft. The integrity impact suggests attackers may also modify database records, potentially corrupting gallery metadata or injecting malicious content. While availability is not directly impacted, the reputational harm from user credential exposure and the operational overhead of incident response and credential rotation can be substantial. Any site storing customer or member data through this plugin becomes an attractive target.

Affected systems

Apptha Slider Gallery version 1.0 is affected. The vulnerability is specific to this version; administrators should verify whether their deployments run this exact version and check the Apptha vendor documentation for version details. Affected systems include WordPress installations or other platforms that integrate this gallery plugin.

Exploitability

Exploitability is very high. The attack requires no authentication, no special privileges, and no user interaction—an attacker can craft a simple HTTP GET request with a malicious SQL payload in the albid parameter and immediately extract database contents. Tools for SQL injection testing are widely available, and the simplicity of the vector (unauthenticated GET parameter injection) means even moderately skilled attackers can succeed. No KEV (Known Exploited Vulnerability) listing currently exists, but the straightforward nature of the flaw suggests public exploitation tools may emerge.

Remediation

Update Apptha Slider Gallery immediately to a patched version. Verify with the vendor whether a security update addressing CVE-2017-20249 is available. As an interim control, isolate or disable the gallery plugin if an update is unavailable. Apply web application firewall (WAF) rules to block SQL injection patterns in the albid parameter. Conduct a comprehensive database audit to detect any unauthorized access or data exfiltration.

Patch guidance

Check the official Apptha website or your WordPress plugin repository for available updates to Apptha Slider Gallery. Upgrade to the earliest version that addresses this vulnerability. If the vendor has released no patch, consider alternative gallery plugins with better security track records. Before patching production systems, test updates in a staging environment to ensure compatibility with your theme and other plugins. Document the patch date and version applied for compliance records.

Detection guidance

Monitor web server access logs and WAF logs for suspicious patterns in the albid parameter, including SQL keywords (SELECT, UNION, INSERT, DELETE, DROP), SQL comment syntax (-- or /**/), and encoded SQL metacharacters. Database activity monitoring should flag unexpected query patterns or attempts to access sensitive tables. Check database audit logs for unauthorized queries or access to user credential tables. Network-based intrusion detection systems should alert on SQL injection payloads in HTTP GET requests to the affected gallery endpoints.

Why prioritize this

This vulnerability merits immediate patching due to its CVSS 8.2 HIGH severity, complete lack of authentication requirements, network accessibility, and direct exposure of sensitive user credentials. The combination of trivial exploitability and high-impact data theft creates urgent risk. Even if exploitation has not been observed in your environment, the low attack complexity makes this a prime target for opportunistic attackers scanning for outdated plugins.

Risk score, explained

The CVSS 3.1 score of 8.2 reflects high confidentiality impact (user credentials and database content leakage), low integrity impact (potential for database modification), zero availability impact, paired with the most dangerous attack vector: unauthenticated network access with no user interaction or special conditions required. The score appropriately elevates this beyond a moderate finding because credential theft affects multiple downstream systems and user accounts, not just the gallery application itself.

Frequently asked questions