CVE-2018-25422: SQL Injection in MOGG Web Simulator Script - CVSS 8.2 HIGH

Technical summary

This vulnerability is a classic SQL injection flaw (CWE-89) in the MOGG web simulator Script. The application fails to properly sanitize user input in the id parameter passed to play.php, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary SQL commands. Since the application does not enforce authentication on this endpoint, the vulnerability is remotely exploitable by any unauthenticated attacker. The vulnerable code likely concatenates user input directly into SQL queries without parameterized statements or input validation, enabling both data exfiltration and potential database manipulation.

Business impact

Organizations using MOGG web simulator Script face immediate risk of unauthorized database access and sensitive data exposure. Attackers can extract usernames, credentials, and other database records without authentication, potentially leading to account compromise, regulatory violations (GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS if applicable), reputational damage, and further lateral movement within the organization. The high confidentiality impact makes this particularly concerning for any deployment handling customer or employee data.

Affected systems

The MOGG web simulator Script is affected. Specific version information is not provided in available source data. Organizations should immediately verify which versions of MOGG web simulator Script are deployed in their environments and check with the vendor for affected version ranges and patch availability.

Exploitability

This vulnerability has high exploitability characteristics. It requires no authentication, no user interaction, and operates over the network using standard HTTP. The attack surface is simple—any attacker can craft malicious SQL payloads in GET requests to play.php. No specialized tools are required beyond basic HTTP request capability. The lack of complexity in crafting exploits, combined with unauthenticated access, makes this trivial to exploit at scale.

Remediation

Immediate actions include: (1) Contact the MOGG vendor to confirm affected versions and obtain patched releases; (2) Implement input validation and use parameterized queries (prepared statements) to prevent SQL injection; (3) Restrict access to play.php via firewall rules or authentication controls if the application is internet-facing; (4) Conduct a forensic review of database access logs to determine if the vulnerability has been exploited; (5) Review and reset any exposed credentials identified in the database.

Patch guidance

Consult the MOGG vendor advisory for specific patched version numbers and deployment instructions. Apply patches immediately to all affected systems. Before patching, document your current deployment version and test patches in a non-production environment to ensure compatibility. If the vendor has not yet released a patch, implement network-level access controls and monitor for exploitation attempts.

Detection guidance

Monitor web server logs for suspicious SQL keywords and patterns in the id parameter to play.php (e.g., UNION, SELECT, OR 1=1, DROP, INSERT). Look for GET requests containing SQL metacharacters or encoding variations. Enable database query logging to detect anomalous SQL execution. Search for outbound data exfiltration attempts or unusual database queries executed under the application's service account. Endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools can flag suspicious child processes spawned by the web server.

Why prioritize this

This vulnerability merits immediate prioritization due to its high CVSS score (8.2), complete lack of authentication requirements, ease of exploitation, and direct impact on data confidentiality. SQL injection vulnerabilities are frequently targeted in active attack campaigns. The ability to extract sensitive data without authentication represents a critical business risk that warrants emergency response procedures.

Risk score, explained

The CVSS v3.1 score of 8.2 (HIGH severity) reflects: network-accessible attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privilege requirements (PR:N), no user interaction needed (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and high confidentiality impact (C:H). The score appropriately weights the unrestricted data exfiltration capability while acknowledging limited integrity (I:L) and no availability impact (A:N). For organizations handling regulated data, business risk may exceed the base CVSS score.

Frequently asked questions