CVE-2022-25517: Baomidou Mybatis-plus SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2022-25517 Overview

CVE-2022-25517 is a SQL Injection vulnerability affecting MyBatis Plus v3.4.3, a popular persistence framework enhancement for Java applications. The vulnerability exists in the Column parameter handling within /core/conditions/AbstractWrapper.java, which allows attackers to inject malicious SQL statements through unsanitized input. It is important to note that the vendor's position is that the reported execution of SQL statements was intended behavior, which may indicate this is considered a framework design characteristic rather than a security flaw.

Critical Impact

This SQL Injection vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database, potentially leading to complete compromise of data confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Affected Products

• Baomidou MyBatis-Plus version 3.4.3
• Applications using the AbstractWrapper class with user-controlled Column parameters
• Java applications integrating the vulnerable MyBatis-Plus version

Discovery Timeline

• 2022-03-22 - CVE-2022-25517 published to NVD
• 2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2022-25517

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability resides in the AbstractWrapper.java class within the MyBatis-Plus framework's core conditions handling module. The vulnerability occurs when user-controlled input is passed directly to the Column parameter without proper sanitization or parameterized query handling. SQL Injection vulnerabilities of this nature allow attackers to manipulate database queries by injecting malicious SQL code through application inputs.

MyBatis-Plus is designed to simplify database operations in Java applications by providing an enhanced layer over MyBatis. However, when the Column parameter in the AbstractWrapper class accepts unsanitized user input, attackers can craft specially designed input strings that alter the intended SQL query structure, potentially allowing unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in insufficient input validation and improper handling of the Column parameter in the AbstractWrapper.java class. When developers use this wrapper class with dynamic column names derived from user input, the framework does not adequately sanitize or escape these values before incorporating them into SQL statements. This creates an injection point where malicious SQL fragments can be concatenated into the final query.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for CVE-2022-25517 is network-based, requiring no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted HTTP requests to an application that uses the vulnerable MyBatis-Plus component. The malicious payload is passed through the Column parameter, which is then incorporated directly into SQL queries without proper sanitization.

The vulnerability allows attackers to potentially:

• Extract sensitive data from the database through UNION-based or blind SQL injection techniques
• Modify or delete database records
• Execute administrative database operations
• In some configurations, potentially achieve command execution on the underlying system

Technical details and proof-of-concept demonstrations can be found in the GitHub PoC Repository and the related GitHub Issue Discussion.

Detection Methods for CVE-2022-25517

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL error messages in application logs indicating syntax errors from malformed injection attempts
• Database audit logs showing unexpected or anomalous query patterns, especially queries with UNION SELECT statements or multiple statement terminators
• HTTP request logs containing SQL keywords or special characters in parameters that map to MyBatis-Plus wrapper operations
• Unexpected database query execution times indicating time-based blind SQL injection probing

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common SQL injection patterns in request parameters
• Enable detailed logging on database servers to capture all executed queries for forensic analysis
• Deploy application-level monitoring to detect anomalous patterns in MyBatis-Plus wrapper method invocations
• Utilize SIEM solutions to correlate web server logs with database activity for identifying potential exploitation attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure real-time alerting for SQL error exceptions in application logs that may indicate injection attempts
• Monitor for unusual database query patterns, particularly those involving system tables or administrative functions
• Implement rate limiting and anomaly detection on endpoints that utilize dynamic query building with MyBatis-Plus
• Review database privilege usage patterns to detect potential privilege escalation following successful injection

How to Mitigate CVE-2022-25517

Immediate Actions Required

• Audit all code paths that use AbstractWrapper class methods with user-supplied input for the Column parameter
• Implement a whitelist approach for column names, validating that user input matches only expected column identifiers
• Apply input validation to reject any input containing SQL metacharacters or keywords before passing to MyBatis-Plus methods
• Consider upgrading to a newer version of MyBatis-Plus if the vendor has released updates addressing this behavior

Patch Information

The vendor's position is that the reported SQL statement execution was intended behavior. As such, no official security patch has been released specifically for this CVE. Organizations using MyBatis-Plus should implement application-level controls to prevent SQL injection through this vector. Refer to the GitHub Issue Discussion for ongoing community discussion and potential workarounds.

Workarounds

• Implement strict input validation using a whitelist of allowed column names before passing any user input to MyBatis-Plus wrapper methods
• Use parameterized queries or prepared statements for any dynamic SQL operations where possible
• Apply the principle of least privilege to database accounts used by the application to limit potential impact
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall with SQL injection detection rules as an additional layer of defense

# Example column whitelist validation approach
# In your application, validate column names before use:
ALLOWED_COLUMNS="id,name,email,status,created_at,updated_at"

# Ensure user-supplied column parameter matches whitelist
# Reject any input not in the allowed list
# This prevents injection of arbitrary SQL through column parameters