CVE-2022-23046: Phpipam SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2022-23046 Overview

CVE-2022-23046 is a SQL Injection vulnerability in PhpIPAM v1.4.4 that allows an authenticated admin user to inject arbitrary SQL statements through the "subnet" parameter when searching for subnets via the app/admin/routing/edit-bgp-mapping-search.php endpoint. This vulnerability enables attackers with administrative access to directly manipulate database queries, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or complete database compromise.

Critical Impact
Authenticated administrators can exploit this SQL injection flaw to extract sensitive network management data, modify database records, or potentially execute operating system commands depending on database configuration, compromising the integrity of the entire IP address management infrastructure.

Affected Products

PhpIPAM version 1.4.4
PhpIPAM IP Address Management Software

Discovery Timeline

2022-01-19 - CVE-2022-23046 published to NVD
2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2022-23046

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability exists in the BGP mapping search functionality of PhpIPAM's administrative interface. The application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input in the "subnet" parameter before incorporating it into SQL queries. When an authenticated administrator performs a subnet search through the routing configuration interface, the malicious input is directly concatenated into the database query without adequate validation or parameterization.

The vulnerability requires administrative authentication to exploit, which limits the attack surface to users who already have elevated privileges or scenarios where admin credentials have been compromised. However, in multi-administrator environments or situations involving insider threats, this vulnerability presents significant risk.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation and the use of unsanitized user input in SQL query construction within the edit-bgp-mapping-search.php file. The application directly incorporates the "subnet" parameter value into database queries without using prepared statements or proper input escaping, allowing attackers to inject malicious SQL syntax that alters the intended query logic.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-accessible and requires an authenticated session with administrative privileges. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by:

Authenticating to the PhpIPAM administrative interface with valid admin credentials
Navigating to the BGP routing mapping search functionality
Injecting SQL syntax into the "subnet" search parameter
The malicious SQL is executed against the backend database, allowing data extraction, modification, or other database operations

The exploitation technique involves crafting specially formatted input that breaks out of the intended SQL query context and appends additional SQL commands. Common attack patterns include UNION-based injection for data extraction, time-based blind injection for data enumeration, or stacked queries for data manipulation depending on the database configuration.

For detailed technical exploitation information, refer to the Packet Storm SQL Injection Report and the Fluid Attacks Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2022-23046

Indicators of Compromise

Unusual SQL error messages in PhpIPAM application logs indicating query syntax errors
Abnormal database query patterns originating from the edit-bgp-mapping-search.php endpoint
Unexpected access to the BGP mapping search functionality by administrator accounts
Database audit logs showing queries with suspicious SQL keywords (UNION, SELECT, DROP, etc.) in subnet search operations

Detection Strategies

Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect SQL injection patterns in HTTP parameters
Monitor application logs for SQL syntax errors that may indicate injection attempts
Deploy database activity monitoring to identify anomalous queries from the PhpIPAM application
Configure intrusion detection systems to alert on requests containing common SQL injection payloads targeting the BGP mapping search endpoint

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose logging for the PhpIPAM application to capture all administrative actions
Implement real-time alerting for database query anomalies and errors
Monitor network traffic to the PhpIPAM administrative interface for unusual request patterns
Review administrator account activity logs regularly for signs of credential compromise or misuse

How to Mitigate CVE-2022-23046

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade PhpIPAM to version 1.4.5 or later immediately to address this vulnerability
Audit administrator accounts and remove unnecessary privileged access
Review database and application logs for any signs of prior exploitation
Implement network segmentation to restrict access to the PhpIPAM administrative interface

Patch Information

The vulnerability has been addressed in PhpIPAM version 1.4.5. Organizations should upgrade to this version or later to remediate the SQL injection flaw. The patched release is available from the GitHub PHPIPAM v1.4.5 Release.

Workarounds

Restrict network access to the PhpIPAM administrative interface using firewall rules or VPN requirements
Implement additional authentication layers such as multi-factor authentication for admin accounts
Deploy a Web Application Firewall with SQL injection detection rules in front of the PhpIPAM application
Limit database user privileges for the PhpIPAM application to reduce the impact of successful exploitation

bash

# Example: Restrict access to PhpIPAM admin interface via Apache configuration
<Directory "/var/www/html/phpipam/app/admin">
    Require ip 10.0.0.0/8
    Require ip 192.168.0.0/16
</Directory>