CVE-2019-25684: OpenDocMan SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2019-25684 Overview

CVE-2019-25684 is a SQL Injection vulnerability affecting OpenDocMan version 1.3.4, a web-based document management system. The vulnerability exists in the search.php file, where the where parameter is not properly sanitized before being used in database queries. This allows unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary SQL code through crafted GET requests, potentially compromising the entire database backend.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to extract sensitive database information, modify or delete data, and potentially achieve complete database compromise without any authentication.

Affected Products

• OpenDocMan 1.3.4
• OpenDocMan versions prior to 1.3.4 (potentially affected)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-04-05 - CVE-2019-25684 published to NVD
• 2026-04-09 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2019-25684

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) occurs when user-supplied input through the where parameter in search.php is incorporated directly into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization. The attack can be executed remotely over the network without requiring any authentication or user interaction, making it particularly dangerous for publicly accessible OpenDocMan installations.

The vulnerability enables attackers to manipulate the underlying SQL queries, which can result in unauthorized data extraction, data modification, or complete database compromise. Given that OpenDocMan is a document management system, successful exploitation could expose sensitive documents, user credentials, and confidential business information stored within the system.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation and the failure to use parameterized queries (prepared statements) when constructing SQL queries. The where parameter value is directly concatenated into SQL statements in search.php, allowing malicious SQL syntax to be interpreted as part of the query structure rather than as literal data.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and requires no authentication or privileges. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP GET requests to the search.php endpoint with SQL injection payloads embedded in the where parameter. The injected SQL code is then executed by the database server with the same privileges as the web application's database user.

The attack flow involves sending specially crafted requests where the where parameter contains SQL injection payloads designed to extract data, enumerate database structure, or perform other malicious database operations. Technical details and proof-of-concept examples can be found in the Exploit-DB #46500 advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2019-25684

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed GET requests to search.php containing SQL syntax characters such as single quotes, double dashes, UNION statements, or encoded SQL keywords
• Database error messages appearing in web server logs or application responses indicating SQL syntax errors
• Unexpected database queries or access patterns in database audit logs
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unauthorized database access in forensic analysis

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in the where parameter
• Monitor web server access logs for requests to search.php containing suspicious characters or SQL keywords
• Enable database query logging and audit for anomalous query patterns or errors
• Deploy intrusion detection systems (IDS) with SQL injection signature detection capabilities

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure real-time alerting for SQL injection attack signatures in WAF and IDS systems
• Establish baseline metrics for normal search.php usage patterns and alert on anomalies
• Regularly review database audit logs for unauthorized access attempts or unusual query patterns
• Monitor application error logs for database-related exceptions that may indicate exploitation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2019-25684

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade OpenDocMan to the latest available version from SourceForge
• If upgrade is not immediately possible, restrict access to search.php or disable the search functionality temporarily
• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to filter SQL injection attempts targeting the where parameter
• Review database accounts used by OpenDocMan and apply principle of least privilege

Patch Information

Users should obtain the latest version of OpenDocMan from the official SourceForge Project Files repository. Review the VulnCheck SQL Injection Advisory for detailed information about the vulnerability and remediation guidance.

Workarounds

• Implement input validation on the where parameter to allow only expected characters and reject SQL metacharacters
• Use a Web Application Firewall to block requests containing SQL injection patterns
• Restrict network access to the OpenDocMan installation to trusted IP addresses only
• Consider disabling the search functionality by removing or restricting access to search.php until a patch can be applied

# Example .htaccess rule to restrict access to search.php
<Files "search.php">
    Order Deny,Allow
    Deny from all
    Allow from 192.168.1.0/24
</Files>