CVE-2024-49773

Executive Summary

CVE-2024-49773 is a SQL injection vulnerability in SuiteCRM, an open-source CRM application. The flaw resides in the export entry point, specifically within the generateSearchWhere() function. An authenticated attacker can manipulate the current_post parameter to inject arbitrary SQL queries. This allows for blind SQL injection, leading to information disclosure, including personally identifiable information (PII). The vulnerability has been addressed in SuiteCRM versions 7.14.6 and 8.7.1. There are no known workarounds, and upgrading is the recommended remediation.

Supply Chain & Package Security

This vulnerability is not related to a package manager (NPM, PyPI, Go, Ruby) but is a direct code vulnerability in the SuiteCRM application itself. The supply chain risk is limited to the application's own codebase and does not involve third-party dependencies in the same manner as a package ecosystem.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

• CVSS Score: 5.3 (Medium)
• Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
• Attack Vector (AV): Network (N) - The vulnerability can be exploited remotely.
• Attack Complexity (AC): Low (L) - No special conditions are required for exploitation.
• Privileges Required (PR): Low (L) - The attacker must be authenticated as a user.
• User Interaction (UI): None (N) - No user interaction is required.
• Scope (S): Unchanged (U) - The vulnerability does not affect other components.
• Confidentiality (C): Low (L) - Limited information disclosure is possible.
• Integrity (I): None (N) - No data modification is possible.
• Availability (A): None (N) - No denial of service is possible.

Threat Level: Medium. While the CVSS score is moderate, the potential for information disclosure, especially of PII, makes this a significant concern for organizations handling sensitive customer data.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability is a classic SQL injection flaw in the export functionality of SuiteCRM. The current_post parameter, which is user-controlled, is passed to the generateSearchWhere() function without proper sanitization or parameterization. This function builds a SQL query used to filter data for export. An attacker can inject malicious SQL code into the current_post parameter, which is then executed against the database.

The injection is blind, meaning the attacker does not see the direct results of the query in the application's response. Instead, they must infer information based on the application's behavior (e.g., response time, error messages). This makes exploitation more complex but still feasible for a skilled attacker.

The vulnerable code path is:

1. User sends a request to the export entry point with a crafted current_post parameter.
2. The application passes this parameter to generateSearchWhere().
3. generateSearchWhere() constructs a SQL query using the unsanitized input.
4. The query is executed, potentially returning data or causing a delay.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Vulnerable Code (Conceptual):

// In generateSearchWhere() function
function generateSearchWhere($current_post) {
    // No sanitization or parameterization
    $where = "WHERE id IN (" . $current_post . ")";
    return $where;
}

Patched Code (Conceptual):

// In generateSearchWhere() function
function generateSearchWhere($current_post) {
    // Sanitize input - ensure it's an array of integers
    if (is_array($current_post)) {
        $sanitized_ids = array_map('intval', $current_post);
        $where = "WHERE id IN (" . implode(',', $sanitized_ids) . ")";
    } else {
        // Handle invalid input
        $where = "";
    }
    return $where;
}

The patched code uses intval() to ensure each element is an integer, preventing SQL injection. The official patch in versions 7.14.6 and 8.7.1 implements similar input validation.

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team (Exploitation)

Lab Setup:

1. Install a vulnerable version of SuiteCRM (e.g., 7.14.5 or 8.7.0) on a local server.
2. Create a user account with export permissions.
3. Obtain a valid session cookie.

Exploitation Steps:

1. Identify the export endpoint (e.g., index.php?entryPoint=export).
2. Craft a malicious current_post parameter to perform a blind SQL injection. For example, to test for time-based injection:

   current_post[]=1 AND IF(1=1, SLEEP(5), 0)
   

3. Send the request with the crafted parameter and observe the response time. A delay indicates successful injection.
4. Use a tool like sqlmap to automate the extraction of data:

   sqlmap -u "http://target/index.php?entryPoint=export" --data="current_post[]=1" --cookie="PHPSESSID=your_session_id" --technique=T --dump
   

Note: No public exploit code is available for this CVE.

Blue Team (Detection & Defense)

Detection:

• Monitor for unusual SQL queries in database logs, especially those containing SLEEP, BENCHMARK, or other time-based functions.
• Look for requests to the export endpoint with abnormal current_post parameters (e.g., containing SQL keywords).
• Use Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block SQL injection patterns.

Defense:

• Immediately upgrade to SuiteCRM 7.14.6 or 8.7.1.
• Implement input validation and parameterized queries for all user-supplied data.
• Restrict export functionality to trusted users only.
• Enable database query logging and alerting.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• Network IOCs:

  • HTTP requests to index.php?entryPoint=export with current_post parameters containing SQL keywords (e.g., SLEEP, UNION, SELECT).
  • Unusual response times from the server (e.g., 5-second delays) indicating time-based injection attempts.

• Host IOCs:

  • Database logs showing queries with SLEEP() or BENCHMARK() functions.
  • Application logs showing errors related to SQL syntax.

• File IOCs:

  • Modified SuiteCRM source files (e.g., include/utils.php or modules/Export/Export.php).

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2024_49773_SuiteCRM_SQLi {
    meta:
        description = "Detects SQL injection attempts targeting SuiteCRM CVE-2024-49773"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2024-01-01"
        reference = "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-49773"
    strings:
        $sqli1 = "current_post" nocase
        $sqli2 = "SLEEP(" nocase
        $sqli3 = "BENCHMARK(" nocase
        $sqli4 = "UNION SELECT" nocase
    condition:
        $sqli1 and any of ($sqli2, $sqli3, $sqli4)
}

Sigma Rule

title: SuiteCRM SQL Injection via current_post Parameter
id: 12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789012
status: experimental
description: Detects SQL injection attempts against SuiteCRM CVE-2024-49773
author: Valters IT
date: 2024-01-01
logsource:
    category: webserver
    product: apache
detection:
    selection:
        cs-method: 'POST'
        cs-uri-query|contains: 'entryPoint=export'
        cs-uri-query|contains: 'current_post'
        cs-uri-query|contains|any:
            - 'SLEEP('
            - 'BENCHMARK('
            - 'UNION SELECT'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate use of similar strings in non-malicious contexts
level: high

Suricata Rule

alert http $HOME_NET any -> $EXTERNAL_NET any (msg:"SuiteCRM SQL Injection Attempt (CVE-2024-49773)"; flow:to_server,established; content:"POST"; http_method; content:"entryPoint=export"; http_uri; content:"current_post"; http_client_body; pcre:"/(SLEEP\(|BENCHMARK\(|UNION\s+SELECT)/i"; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

Immediate Remediation:

• Upgrade SuiteCRM to version 7.14.6 or 8.7.1. This is the only known fix.

Mitigation (if upgrade is not immediately possible):

• Disable the export functionality for all users until the upgrade can be performed.
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to block requests containing SQL injection patterns in the current_post parameter.
• Restrict access to the export endpoint to trusted IP addresses.
• Monitor database logs for suspicious queries.

Long-term Prevention:

• Adopt secure coding practices, including parameterized queries and input validation.
• Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing.
• Implement a bug bounty program to encourage responsible disclosure.

Valters IT