CVE-2018-25431: SQL Injection in No-Cms 1.0 Privilege Export – Risk Assessment

Technical summary

CVE-2018-25431 is a SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) in No-Cms 1.0's manage_privilege endpoint. The export function accepts POST requests to /nocms/main/manage_privilege/index/export and fails to properly sanitize the order_by[0] parameter before constructing database queries. Attackers with valid authentication can inject SQL metacharacters to bypass query logic, enabling unauthorized data retrieval. The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.1 reflects high confidentiality impact, low integrity risk, and no availability impact (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N).

Business impact

Authenticated users with access to the privilege management interface can extract sensitive database records—including potentially credentials, user data, or business-critical information—without administrative privileges. While the attack requires valid login credentials, compromised accounts (contractor access, vendor integration accounts, or phished employee credentials) present a realistic entry point. Data exfiltration risk is high; system disruption is not an immediate concern since integrity and availability are only marginally affected.

Affected systems

No-Cms version 1.0 is affected. Users should verify whether this version is deployed in their environment, particularly in internal administrative portals or privilege management dashboards. Earlier or later versions have not been identified as affected based on available vendor information; verify current deployments against vendor advisories.

Exploitability

Exploitation requires valid authentication credentials and access to the manage_privilege interface, reducing the attack surface compared to unauthenticated vulnerabilities. However, the attack is trivial once authenticated—simple POST requests with malicious SQL in the order_by parameter suffice. No advanced exploitation techniques are required. The vulnerability is not currently tracked in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, suggesting limited public weaponization to date, though the straightforward nature of SQL injection means exploitation tools could emerge quickly.

Remediation

Upgrade No-Cms to a patched version addressing CVE-2018-25431. Until patching is feasible, implement input validation and parameterized queries (prepared statements) for all database operations involving user-controlled parameters. Apply principle of least privilege to database accounts used by the application. Monitor for suspicious SQL queries in database logs.

Patch guidance

Check the official No-Cms project repository or vendor advisories for the specific patched version addressing this vulnerability. Apply patches in a test environment first to ensure compatibility with existing configurations. Verify the fix by confirming the order_by parameter is properly sanitized or parameterized in the export endpoint.

Detection guidance

Monitor HTTP POST requests to /nocms/main/manage_privilege/index/export for unusual order_by parameter values containing SQL keywords (UNION, SELECT, WHERE, OR, AND, semicolons). Log successful database queries triggered by this endpoint and alert on queries that exceed expected result sets or access tables outside the privilege management scope. Web application firewalls (WAF) rules targeting SQL injection patterns in POST parameters can provide real-time protection.

Why prioritize this

This vulnerability merits prompt attention due to its HIGH severity rating and direct data exfiltration risk. While authentication is required, many organizations have multiple users with admin or privileged access, and credential compromise is common. The attack is trivial to execute and detection may be overlooked in environments with limited query logging. Organizations should prioritize patching within 30 days if No-Cms 1.0 is internet-facing or accessible to external partners.

Risk score, explained

The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.1 reflects: (1) network-accessible attack vector (AV:N) lowering friction, (2) low attack complexity (AC:L) requiring only standard HTTP POST, (3) requirement for low-privilege authentication (PR:L) as a restraining factor, (4) high confidentiality impact (C:H) from unrestricted database queries, and (5) low integrity and no availability impact. The score appropriately balances the authenticated barrier against the severity of unauthorized data disclosure.

Frequently asked questions