CVE-2018-25182: Silurus Classifieds Script SQLi Flaw

CVE-2018-25182 Overview

Silurus Classifieds Script 2.0 contains a critical SQL injection vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary SQL queries by injecting malicious code through the ID parameter. Attackers can send GET requests to wcategory.php with crafted SQL payloads in the ID parameter to extract database table names and sensitive information from the database.

Critical Impact

This SQL injection vulnerability enables unauthenticated remote attackers to extract sensitive database information, potentially leading to complete database compromise, data theft, and unauthorized access to user credentials.

Affected Products

• Silurus Classifieds Script 2.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-06 - CVE CVE-2018-25182 published to NVD
• 2026-03-09 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2018-25182

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) exists in the wcategory.php endpoint of Silurus Classifieds Script 2.0. The application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input in the ID parameter before incorporating it into SQL queries. This lack of input validation allows attackers to inject arbitrary SQL statements that are then executed by the database server with the privileges of the web application.

The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no authentication to exploit. An attacker can simply craft a malicious URL with SQL injection payloads in the ID parameter and send it as a GET request to the vulnerable endpoint. This enables extraction of database schema information, including table names, column structures, and ultimately sensitive data stored in the database.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation and lack of parameterized queries in the wcategory.php file. The ID parameter is directly concatenated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or the use of prepared statements. This allows attackers to break out of the intended query structure and inject their own SQL commands.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and can be exploited remotely without any user interaction or authentication requirements. An attacker crafts a malicious GET request to wcategory.php with SQL injection payloads embedded in the ID parameter. The injected SQL code is executed against the backend database, allowing the attacker to perform union-based or error-based SQL injection attacks to enumerate database tables and extract sensitive information.

For detailed technical information about exploitation techniques, refer to the Exploit-DB #45838 entry and the VulnCheck Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2018-25182

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual GET requests to wcategory.php containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, FROM, or information_schema
• Web server logs showing repeated requests to wcategory.php with encoded or obfuscated SQL payloads in the ID parameter
• Database error messages appearing in application logs indicating malformed SQL queries
• Unexpected database queries accessing information_schema tables or attempting to enumerate table structures

Detection Strategies

• Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common SQL injection patterns in the ID parameter
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) to alert on requests containing SQL keywords or special characters in URL parameters
• Monitor database audit logs for unusual query patterns, particularly those accessing system tables or attempting data extraction
• Deploy application-level logging to capture all requests to wcategory.php for forensic analysis

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging on web servers to capture full request URLs including parameters
• Set up real-time alerts for database queries that match SQL injection patterns
• Monitor for anomalous database traffic patterns or sudden increases in query volume
• Implement database activity monitoring to detect unauthorized data access attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2018-25182

Immediate Actions Required

• Immediately restrict public access to the Silurus Classifieds Script application until remediation is complete
• Implement a web application firewall (WAF) with rules specifically blocking SQL injection attempts against wcategory.php
• Review database logs for evidence of prior exploitation and assess potential data exposure
• Consider taking the application offline if it contains sensitive data until a proper fix is implemented

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been identified for this vulnerability. Organizations using Silurus Classifieds Script 2.0 should consider migrating to an alternative, actively maintained classifieds solution. For additional technical details, consult the VulnCheck Advisory on SQL Injection.

Workarounds

• Implement input validation on the ID parameter to accept only numeric values
• Use prepared statements or parameterized queries when modifying the source code
• Deploy a WAF with SQL injection protection rules in front of the application
• Restrict database user privileges to minimum necessary permissions to limit impact of successful exploitation

# Example WAF rule to block SQL injection in ID parameter (ModSecurity)
SecRule ARGS:ID "@rx (?i)(union|select|insert|update|delete|drop|alter|create|truncate|exec|execute|xp_|information_schema)" \
    "id:100001,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'SQL Injection attempt detected in ID parameter'"