CVE-2019-25300: Globitek CMS SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2019-25300 Overview

CVE-2019-25300 is a SQL Injection vulnerability affecting thejshen Globitek CMS version 1.4. The vulnerability exists in the handling of the id GET parameter, which fails to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into database queries. This allows attackers to manipulate SQL queries and potentially extract, modify, or delete sensitive database information.

Critical Impact

Attackers can leverage boolean-based, time-based, and UNION-based SQL injection techniques to compromise database integrity and confidentiality, potentially leading to unauthorized data access or complete database takeover.

Affected Products

• thejshen Globitek CMS 1.4

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-06 - CVE-2019-25300 published to NVD
• 2026-02-06 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2019-25300

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) stems from improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands. The Globitek CMS fails to adequately validate or sanitize user-supplied input passed through the id GET parameter before using it in SQL queries. This creates an opportunity for attackers to inject malicious SQL code that gets executed by the database server.

The vulnerability is exploitable over the network and requires low privileges to exploit. The attack complexity is low, meaning no specialized conditions or circumstances are necessary for successful exploitation. When exploited, attackers can achieve high confidentiality impact by extracting sensitive data from the database, along with potential integrity impact through data modification.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation and the lack of parameterized queries (prepared statements) when handling the id GET parameter. User-supplied input is directly concatenated into SQL query strings without proper sanitization or escaping, allowing SQL syntax to be interpreted as part of the query rather than as data.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is exploitable via network-based attacks where an attacker crafts malicious HTTP requests containing SQL injection payloads in the id parameter. Three distinct injection techniques have been identified:

1. Boolean-based blind injection: Attackers can infer database information by observing different application responses based on true/false conditions injected into the query.

2. Time-based blind injection: By injecting time-delay functions (such as SLEEP() in MySQL), attackers can extract data character by character based on response timing.

3. UNION-based injection: Attackers can append UNION SELECT statements to retrieve data from other database tables, potentially accessing credentials, user data, or administrative information.

Technical details and proof-of-concept exploitation techniques are documented in the Exploit-DB #47581 entry and the VulnCheck Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2019-25300

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual database query patterns containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, SLEEP, BENCHMARK, or OR 1=1 in web server access logs
• HTTP requests to endpoints with abnormally long or malformed id parameter values
• Database errors logged indicating SQL syntax errors from malformed queries
• Unexpected time delays in application responses that may indicate time-based injection attempts

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewalls (WAF) with SQL injection detection rulesets to identify and block malicious payloads
• Implement application-level logging to capture all requests containing potentially dangerous SQL characters or keywords
• Monitor database activity logs for unusual query patterns, failed authentication attempts, or bulk data extraction operations
• Use intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common SQL injection attack patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Review web server access logs regularly for requests containing encoded SQL injection payloads in the id parameter
• Set up alerts for database errors that indicate SQL injection attempts (syntax errors, unauthorized table access)
• Monitor for unusual database activity during off-hours that could indicate exploitation
• Track failed and successful authentication patterns in the CMS application

How to Mitigate CVE-2019-25300

Immediate Actions Required

• Immediately restrict or disable public access to the affected Globitek CMS installation until remediation is complete
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to filter SQL injection attack patterns targeting the id parameter
• Audit database access logs for evidence of prior exploitation and potential data exfiltration
• Conduct a thorough review of all database-connected functionality for similar injection vulnerabilities

Patch Information

No official vendor patch information is available for this vulnerability. The GitHub repository contains the affected source code. Organizations using this CMS should consider migrating to an actively maintained content management system or implementing manual code fixes using parameterized queries.

Workarounds

• Implement parameterized queries (prepared statements) in all database operations that accept user input
• Apply strict input validation to ensure the id parameter only accepts expected numeric values
• Deploy a WAF with SQL injection protection as a defense-in-depth measure
• Consider placing the application behind authentication or restricting network access to trusted IP ranges

# Example: Input validation for numeric ID parameter (conceptual)
# Ensure the id parameter is strictly numeric before processing
# Reject any requests containing non-numeric characters
# Implement prepared statements for all database queries