CVE-2019-25575: SimplePress CMS SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2019-25575 Overview

CVE-2019-25575 is a SQL injection vulnerability affecting SimplePress CMS version 1.0.7. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary SQL queries by injecting malicious code through the p and s parameters. Attackers can craft GET requests with SQL payloads to extract sensitive database information including usernames, database names, and version details. This is a classic CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command) vulnerability that poses significant risk to web applications running this CMS.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can extract sensitive database information and potentially compromise the entire database through SQL injection attacks targeting the p and s URL parameters.

Affected Products

• SimplePress CMS 1.0.7 (alpha)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-21 - CVE-2019-25575 published to NVD
• 2026-03-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2019-25575

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability exists within SimplePress CMS 1.0.7 due to improper input validation and sanitization of user-supplied data. The application fails to properly sanitize the p and s GET parameters before incorporating them into SQL queries. This allows an attacker to inject malicious SQL statements that are then executed by the database server.

The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it does not require authentication—any remote attacker with network access to the vulnerable application can exploit this flaw. Successful exploitation enables attackers to query the underlying database directly, potentially extracting sensitive information such as user credentials, configuration data, and other stored information. In some scenarios, SQL injection vulnerabilities of this nature can be escalated to achieve full database compromise, data modification, or even command execution on the underlying server depending on database permissions and configuration.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the lack of proper input validation and parameterized queries in the SimplePress CMS codebase. The p and s parameters are directly concatenated into SQL query strings without sanitization, escaping, or the use of prepared statements. This programming error allows attacker-controlled input to modify the structure of SQL queries, enabling injection attacks.

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 vulnerable SimplePress CMS installation. The malicious SQL payload is embedded within the p or s URL parameters. When the application processes these parameters, the injected SQL code is executed against the backend database.

For example, an attacker might craft a URL containing SQL injection payloads to enumerate database names, extract user tables, or retrieve credential hashes. The Exploit-DB #46235 reference provides documented exploitation techniques for this vulnerability. The VulnCheck SQL Injection Advisory offers additional technical details about the vulnerable parameters and exploitation methodology.

Detection Methods for CVE-2019-25575

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual HTTP GET requests containing SQL syntax in the p or s parameters (e.g., UNION SELECT, OR 1=1, --, /**/)
• Database error messages in application logs indicating malformed SQL queries
• Unexpected database queries attempting to access system tables or extract schema information
• Web server logs showing requests with URL-encoded SQL injection payloads

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common SQL injection patterns in URL parameters
• Enable database query logging and monitor for anomalous query patterns or unauthorized data access attempts
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for SQL injection attack patterns
• Review application logs for requests containing suspicious characters or SQL keywords in the p and s parameters

Monitoring Recommendations

• Implement real-time alerting for HTTP requests containing SQL injection indicators targeting SimplePress CMS endpoints
• Monitor database audit logs for unusual query activity, especially queries accessing user credentials or system tables
• Set up network monitoring to detect data exfiltration attempts following potential SQL injection exploitation
• Regularly review web server access logs for patterns indicative of automated SQL injection scanning tools

How to Mitigate CVE-2019-25575

Immediate Actions Required

• Identify all instances of SimplePress CMS 1.0.7 in your environment and assess exposure
• Consider taking vulnerable SimplePress CMS installations offline or restricting access until remediation is complete
• Deploy WAF rules to block SQL injection attempts against the p and s parameters
• Review database and application logs for evidence of prior exploitation attempts

Patch Information

SimplePress CMS 1.0.7 is an alpha release. Users should check the SourceForge SimplePress CMS Project page for any updated versions or security patches. Given that this is an alpha release of a legacy CMS, it is strongly recommended to migrate to a more actively maintained content management system if patches are not available.

Workarounds

• Implement input validation at the web server or reverse proxy level to filter SQL injection characters from the p and s parameters
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules enabled
• Restrict database user privileges to minimize the impact of successful SQL injection attacks
• If possible, disable or remove the functionality that utilizes the vulnerable p and s parameters
• Consider migrating to a modern, actively maintained CMS platform with proper security controls

# Example WAF rule for ModSecurity to block SQL injection in p and s parameters
SecRule ARGS:p|ARGS:s "@rx (?i:(\%27)|(\')|(\-\-)|(\%23)|(#)|(\%3B)|(;)|(\%2F\%2A)|(/\*))" \
    "id:1001,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'SQL Injection attempt blocked in SimplePress parameters'"