CVE-2022-24124: Casbin Casdoor SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2022-24124 Overview

CVE-2022-24124 is a SQL injection vulnerability affecting the query API in Casdoor before version 1.13.1. The vulnerability exists in the field and value parameters used by the api/get-organizations endpoint and potentially other similar API endpoints. Successful exploitation allows unauthenticated attackers to extract sensitive data from the underlying database by injecting malicious SQL statements through these vulnerable parameters.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to extract sensitive data from the Casdoor database, potentially compromising user credentials, authentication tokens, and organizational data stored in the identity management system.

Affected Products

• Casbin Casdoor versions prior to 1.13.1
• Any deployments using vulnerable Casdoor API endpoints with user-controllable field and value parameters

Discovery Timeline

• 2022-01-29 - CVE-2022-24124 published to NVD
• 2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2022-24124

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability affects Casdoor, an open-source Identity and Access Management (IAM) platform developed by Casbin. The vulnerability resides in the query API functionality, specifically in how the application processes the field and value parameters. These parameters are used to construct dynamic SQL queries but lack proper input sanitization and parameterized query handling.

The attack is network-accessible and requires no authentication or user interaction, making it particularly dangerous for internet-exposed Casdoor deployments. The vulnerability specifically impacts the confidentiality of data, allowing attackers to read arbitrary database contents including user credentials, session tokens, and configuration data that may be stored in the backend database.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation (CWE-89: SQL Injection). The Casdoor query API directly concatenates user-supplied field and value parameters into SQL queries without adequate sanitization or the use of parameterized queries. This allows attackers to break out of the intended query structure and inject arbitrary SQL commands.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is exploitable over the network through HTTP requests to the Casdoor API. An attacker can craft malicious requests to endpoints like api/get-organizations with specially crafted field and value parameters containing SQL injection payloads.

The attack requires no authentication and no user interaction. An attacker with network access to a vulnerable Casdoor instance can send HTTP requests with malicious SQL injection payloads in the field or value parameters to extract sensitive data using techniques such as UNION-based injection, boolean-based blind injection, or time-based blind injection depending on the database configuration and response handling.

For detailed technical information about this vulnerability, refer to the Packet Storm SQL Injection Advisory and the GitHub Issue Tracker Discussion.

Detection Methods for CVE-2022-24124

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests to Casdoor API endpoints containing SQL injection patterns in the field or value parameters
• Unusual characters in API parameters such as single quotes ('), semicolons (;), UNION, SELECT, or SQL comment sequences (--, /*)
• Database error messages in application logs indicating malformed SQL queries
• Unexpected database queries or abnormal query patterns in database audit logs

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewalls (WAF) with SQL injection detection rules targeting the Casdoor API endpoints
• Implement application-layer monitoring to detect requests containing SQL injection signatures in the field and value parameters
• Enable database query logging and establish baselines for normal Casdoor query patterns
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) to alert on SQL injection patterns in HTTP traffic to Casdoor instances

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor Casdoor access logs for requests to api/get-organizations and similar query endpoints with suspicious parameter values
• Enable and review database slow query logs for unusual query patterns that may indicate SQL injection attempts
• Implement real-time alerting for database errors related to SQL syntax from Casdoor application connections
• Establish network traffic monitoring for anomalous data exfiltration patterns from systems hosting Casdoor databases

How to Mitigate CVE-2022-24124

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Casdoor to version 1.13.1 or later immediately
• If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to Casdoor API endpoints to trusted IP addresses only
• Implement WAF rules to filter SQL injection patterns in requests to Casdoor APIs
• Review database logs for evidence of prior exploitation attempts

Patch Information

The vulnerability has been addressed in Casdoor version 1.13.1. The fix implements proper input sanitization for the field and value parameters in the query API. Organizations should upgrade to version 1.13.1 or later to remediate this vulnerability.

For detailed information about the security fix, refer to the GitHub Pull Request Review and the GitHub Version Comparison.

Workarounds

• Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF in front of Casdoor to filter malicious SQL injection payloads before they reach the application
• Implement network segmentation to restrict access to Casdoor API endpoints from untrusted networks
• Apply IP-based access control lists to limit which clients can reach Casdoor API endpoints
• Disable or restrict access to the vulnerable query API endpoints if they are not required for operations

If upgrading is not immediately possible, implement network-level controls to restrict access to the Casdoor instance:

# Example iptables configuration to restrict Casdoor API access
# Replace 192.168.1.0/24 with your trusted network range
# Replace 8000 with your Casdoor port

# Allow trusted networks only
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8000 -s 192.168.1.0/24 -j ACCEPT

# Drop all other traffic to Casdoor
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8000 -j DROP