CVE-2019-25523: XooGallery SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2019-25523 Overview

XooGallery Latest contains a critical SQL injection vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to manipulate database queries by injecting SQL code through the cat_id parameter. This vulnerability enables attackers to send malicious GET requests to cat.php with crafted cat_id values, potentially bypassing authentication mechanisms, extracting sensitive data from the database, or modifying database contents without authorization.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to extract sensitive data, bypass authentication, or modify database contents through malicious requests to the cat_id parameter in cat.php.

Affected Products

• XooGallery Latest (all versions)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-12 - CVE-2019-25523 published to NVD
• 2026-03-12 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2019-25523

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) exists due to insufficient input validation and improper sanitization of user-supplied data in the cat_id parameter. When users access the cat.php script, the application fails to properly validate or escape the cat_id GET parameter before incorporating it into SQL queries. This allows attackers to inject arbitrary SQL statements that are then executed by the database server with the application's privileges.

The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no authentication to exploit. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP GET requests targeting the vulnerable endpoint, allowing them to interact directly with the underlying database. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information including user credentials, personal data, and application configurations stored in the database.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands. The application directly concatenates or interpolates user input from the cat_id parameter into SQL queries without proper sanitization, parameterized queries, or prepared statements. This classic SQL injection pattern allows attackers to break out of the intended query structure and inject their own SQL commands.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted HTTP GET requests to the cat.php endpoint with malicious SQL code embedded in the cat_id parameter. The attack can be performed remotely against any exposed instance of XooGallery Latest.

The exploitation process typically involves:

1. Identifying a vulnerable XooGallery installation
2. Crafting a malicious GET request with SQL injection payload in the cat_id parameter
3. Sending the request to cat.php and analyzing the response
4. Iterating with various SQL injection techniques to extract data or manipulate the database

For detailed technical information about the vulnerability and exploitation techniques, see the Exploit-DB #46609 entry and the VulnCheck SQL Injection Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2019-25523

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP GET requests to cat.php containing SQL syntax characters such as single quotes, double dashes, semicolons, or UNION keywords in the cat_id parameter
• Unusual database query patterns or errors in application logs indicating SQL injection attempts
• Unexpected data exfiltration or database modifications that cannot be attributed to legitimate application activity
• Web server logs showing requests with encoded SQL injection payloads targeting the cat_id parameter

Detection Strategies

• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in the cat_id parameter
• Implement intrusion detection system (IDS) signatures to identify SQL injection attack patterns targeting XooGallery endpoints
• Enable detailed logging for database queries and monitor for anomalous SQL statements
• Use application security monitoring tools to detect unusual request patterns to cat.php

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor web server access logs for requests to cat.php with suspicious cat_id values containing SQL metacharacters
• Set up alerts for database errors that may indicate SQL injection attempts
• Implement rate limiting and anomaly detection for requests to vulnerable endpoints
• Review database audit logs for unauthorized data access or modification attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2019-25523

Immediate Actions Required

• Identify all instances of XooGallery Latest in your environment and assess their exposure
• Consider taking vulnerable XooGallery installations offline until a patch is available or workarounds are implemented
• Deploy WAF rules to filter SQL injection payloads targeting the cat_id parameter
• Implement network-level access controls to restrict access to vulnerable endpoints

Patch Information

No vendor patch information is currently available for this vulnerability. Organizations should monitor the VulnCheck SQL Injection Advisory for updates on remediation options.

Workarounds

• Implement a web application firewall (WAF) with SQL injection detection rules to filter malicious requests
• Add input validation at the web server level to reject requests with suspicious characters in the cat_id parameter
• Restrict network access to the vulnerable cat.php endpoint using firewall rules or access control lists
• Consider disabling or removing the affected XooGallery functionality until a permanent fix is available
• If possible, modify the application code to use parameterized queries or prepared statements for the cat_id parameter

# Example WAF rule for ModSecurity to block SQL injection in cat_id parameter
SecRule ARGS:cat_id "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:1001,\
    phase:2,\
    deny,\
    status:403,\
    log,\
    msg:'SQL Injection attempt detected in cat_id parameter',\
    tag:'CVE-2019-25523'"