CVE-2019-25539: 202CMS v10 Beta SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2019-25539 Overview

CVE-2019-25539 is a blind SQL injection vulnerability in 202CMS v10 beta that allows unauthenticated attackers to manipulate database queries by injecting SQL code through the log_user parameter. Attackers can send POST requests to index.php with crafted SQL payloads using time-based blind injection techniques to extract sensitive database information.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can extract sensitive database contents including user credentials, configuration data, and other confidential information through time-based blind SQL injection without requiring any authentication.

Affected Products

• 202CMS v10 beta

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-12 - CVE CVE-2019-25539 published to NVD
• 2026-03-12 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2019-25539

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) exists within the authentication handling mechanism of 202CMS v10 beta. The application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input in the log_user parameter before incorporating it into SQL queries. This allows attackers to inject arbitrary SQL statements that are executed against the backend database.

The vulnerability is classified as a blind SQL injection because the application does not return database error messages or query results directly to the attacker. Instead, attackers must infer information through time-based techniques, observing response timing delays to determine whether injected conditions evaluate to true or false.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation and the absence of parameterized queries or prepared statements when handling the log_user parameter. User-supplied input is directly concatenated into SQL query strings without sanitization, escaping, or validation, enabling attackers to break out of the intended query structure and inject malicious SQL code.

Attack Vector

This vulnerability is exploitable over the network without authentication. An attacker sends specially crafted POST requests to index.php containing SQL injection payloads in the log_user parameter. The time-based blind injection technique works by injecting conditional SQL statements that cause intentional delays (such as SLEEP() functions in MySQL) when specific conditions are met.

By measuring response times and systematically iterating through characters and values, attackers can extract database schema information, table contents, user credentials, and other sensitive data character by character. This attack can be automated using tools like sqlmap or through custom scripts.

Technical details and proof-of-concept information are available through Exploit-DB #46579 and the VulnCheck Security Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2019-25539

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP POST requests to index.php containing SQL keywords such as SLEEP(), BENCHMARK(), WAITFOR DELAY, or pg_sleep() in the log_user parameter
• Multiple sequential requests with slight variations in parameter values indicating automated enumeration
• Unusually long response times for authentication requests indicating time-based injection attempts
• Log entries showing malformed or suspicious values in the log_user field containing special characters like single quotes, double dashes, or SQL keywords

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in POST request bodies
• Implement application-level logging to capture and alert on requests containing SQL injection signatures
• Monitor database query logs for anomalous or long-running queries originating from web application connections
• Use intrusion detection systems (IDS) with SQL injection detection rulesets

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose access logging on web servers hosting 202CMS installations
• Configure alerting for requests with response times exceeding normal thresholds
• Monitor for automated scanning tool signatures and user-agent strings associated with vulnerability scanners
• Implement rate limiting on authentication endpoints to slow enumeration attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2019-25539

Immediate Actions Required

• Consider removing or disabling 202CMS v10 beta installations if the application is no longer maintained
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall with SQL injection protection rules in front of the application
• Restrict network access to the application to trusted IP ranges only
• Review and audit database permissions to ensure the web application uses a least-privilege database account

Patch Information

No official patch information is available in the enriched CVE data. The project is available on SourceForge, but users should verify whether any security updates have been released. Given the beta status of the affected version, consider migrating to a more actively maintained CMS solution.

Workarounds

• Implement input validation at the application level or through a reverse proxy to filter SQL injection patterns from the log_user parameter
• Deploy ModSecurity or similar WAF with OWASP Core Rule Set to block common SQL injection attacks
• If source code access is available, modify the authentication code to use prepared statements with parameterized queries
• Place the application behind a VPN or require authentication at the network level before allowing access to the CMS