CVE-2019-25521: XooGallery SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2019-25521 Overview

XooGallery Latest contains a SQL injection vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to manipulate database queries by injecting SQL code through the gal_id parameter. Attackers can send GET requests to gal.php with malicious gal_id values to extract sensitive database information or modify database contents. This vulnerability poses a significant risk to web applications using this gallery component, as it requires no authentication and can be exploited remotely over the network.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated remote attackers can extract sensitive database information, modify database contents, or potentially gain unauthorized access to the underlying system through SQL injection attacks targeting the gal_id parameter.

Affected Products

• XooGallery Latest (all versions)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-12 - CVE CVE-2019-25521 published to NVD
• 2026-03-12 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2019-25521

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command), commonly known as SQL Injection. The vulnerability exists in the gal.php file of XooGallery Latest, where the gal_id parameter is not properly sanitized before being incorporated into database queries.

When a user supplies input through the gal_id GET parameter, the application fails to validate or escape special SQL characters. This allows an attacker to craft malicious input that breaks out of the intended query structure and injects arbitrary SQL commands. Because the vulnerability is accessible without authentication and exposed via GET requests, it represents a significant attack surface for malicious actors.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is inadequate input validation and the absence of parameterized queries or prepared statements. The gal.php script directly incorporates user-supplied input from the gal_id parameter into SQL queries without proper sanitization. This coding practice violates fundamental secure development principles and creates a direct path for SQL injection attacks.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP GET requests to the vulnerable gal.php endpoint with malicious SQL payloads in the gal_id parameter.

The exploitation process involves sending GET requests to gal.php with specially crafted gal_id values containing SQL metacharacters and commands. By injecting SQL syntax such as single quotes, UNION statements, or time-based blind injection techniques, attackers can extract database schema information, dump sensitive data including user credentials, modify or delete database records, and potentially execute system commands depending on database configuration.

For detailed technical information about this vulnerability, refer to the Exploit-DB #46609 and the VulnCheck SQL Injection Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2019-25521

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP GET requests to gal.php containing SQL metacharacters (single quotes, semicolons, UNION keywords) in the gal_id parameter
• Web server logs showing abnormal or malformed gal_id parameter values with SQL syntax
• Database error messages appearing in application responses indicating injection attempts
• Unusual database query patterns or unexpected data access to sensitive tables

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in the gal_id parameter
• Monitor web server access logs for requests containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, OR, AND in query parameters
• Deploy intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common SQL injection attack patterns
• Enable database query logging and alert on unusual query structures or unauthorized data access attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure real-time alerting for web requests to gal.php with suspicious parameter values
• Implement database activity monitoring to detect anomalous query patterns or bulk data extraction
• Review web server logs periodically for reconnaissance patterns targeting the vulnerable endpoint
• Set up SIEM correlation rules to identify SQL injection attack campaigns across multiple requests

How to Mitigate CVE-2019-25521

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict or disable access to gal.php if the functionality is not critical to operations
• Implement input validation to allow only numeric values in the gal_id parameter
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules as a temporary measure
• Review database permissions and ensure the application uses a least-privilege database account

Patch Information

No official vendor patch information is currently available for this vulnerability. Organizations using XooGallery Latest should consider the following remediation approaches: implement manual code fixes to use parameterized queries, migrate to a maintained and secure alternative gallery solution, or apply compensating controls such as WAF rules and input validation at the application layer.

Workarounds

• Implement server-side input validation to reject any gal_id value that is not a positive integer
• Configure mod_security or similar WAF modules with SQL injection detection rules for the affected endpoint
• Restrict access to gal.php using IP-based access controls or authentication requirements
• If possible, rewrite the vulnerable code to use prepared statements with parameterized queries

# Example Apache mod_rewrite rule to block non-numeric gal_id values
# Add to .htaccess or Apache configuration
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} gal_id=.*[^0-9].* [NC]
RewriteRule ^gal\.php$ - [F,L]