CVE-2019-25303: TheJshen CMS SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2019-25303 Overview

TheJshen ContentManagementSystem 1.04 contains a SQL injection vulnerability that allows attackers to manipulate database queries through the id GET parameter. Attackers can exploit boolean-based, time-based, and UNION-based SQL injection techniques to extract or manipulate database information by crafting malicious query payloads.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to extract sensitive database information, potentially compromising user credentials, application data, and backend system integrity.

Affected Products

• TheJshen ContentManagementSystem version 1.04

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-06 - CVE CVE-2019-25303 published to NVD
• 2026-02-06 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2019-25303

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) exists in TheJshen ContentManagementSystem version 1.04 due to improper sanitization of user-supplied input in the id GET parameter. The application fails to properly validate or escape user input before incorporating it into SQL queries, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary SQL commands.

The vulnerability supports multiple exploitation techniques including boolean-based blind injection (where attackers infer data based on true/false application responses), time-based blind injection (where database delays reveal information), and UNION-based injection (allowing direct data extraction through combined query results). This flexibility in attack vectors makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as attackers can adapt their approach based on application behavior.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation and lack of parameterized queries in the application's database interaction layer. When user-supplied data from the id parameter is directly concatenated into SQL query strings without proper sanitization or use of prepared statements, the application becomes susceptible to injection attacks. This represents a fundamental secure coding failure where untrusted input is treated as trusted SQL code.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-accessible and requires low privileges to exploit. An attacker with basic authenticated access can craft malicious HTTP GET requests containing SQL injection payloads in the id parameter. The injected SQL commands are then executed by the database server with the same privileges as the application's database user, potentially allowing data exfiltration, modification, or deletion.

The vulnerability can be exploited through standard HTTP requests to endpoints that accept the id parameter. Boolean-based attacks might use payloads that cause different application responses based on injected conditions, while time-based attacks use database sleep functions to confirm successful injection. UNION-based attacks append additional SELECT statements to extract data from other database tables.

For technical details and proof-of-concept information, refer to the Exploit-DB entry #47569 and the VulnCheck SQL Injection Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2019-25303

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL syntax or keywords appearing in web server access logs within the id parameter (e.g., UNION, SELECT, SLEEP, BENCHMARK)
• Abnormal database query execution times indicating time-based injection attempts
• Database error messages exposed in application responses or logs
• Unexpected data access patterns in database audit logs

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect common SQL injection patterns in GET parameters
• Monitor web server logs for requests containing SQL keywords or special characters in the id parameter
• Enable database query logging and alert on anomalous query patterns or syntax errors
• Deploy intrusion detection systems with signatures for SQL injection attack patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for all HTTP requests to affected CMS endpoints
• Configure database audit logging to track query execution and access patterns
• Set up alerts for failed authentication attempts combined with SQL error messages
• Monitor for unusually long database query execution times that may indicate time-based injection probing

How to Mitigate CVE-2019-25303

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict access to the affected ContentManagementSystem installation until patched or mitigated
• Implement input validation on the id parameter to accept only numeric values
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules
• Review database user privileges and apply principle of least privilege

Patch Information

No official vendor patch information is available in the CVE data. Users should check the GitHub repository for any updates or community-provided fixes. Consider migrating to a more actively maintained content management system if no patch becomes available.

Workarounds

• Implement server-side input validation to ensure the id parameter contains only expected numeric values
• Use parameterized queries or prepared statements if modifying the source code
• Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF with SQL injection filtering capabilities
• Restrict network access to the CMS to trusted IP ranges only

# Example WAF rule for ModSecurity to block SQL injection in id parameter
SecRule ARGS:id "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:1001,\
    phase:2,\
    block,\
    msg:'SQL Injection attempt detected in id parameter',\
    logdata:'Matched Data: %{MATCHED_VAR}',\
    severity:'CRITICAL'"