CVE-2022-32211: Rocket.Chat SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2022-32211 Overview

A SQL injection vulnerability exists in Rocket.Chat that allows an attacker to retrieve sensitive authentication data including password reset tokens and two-factor authentication (2FA) secrets. This vulnerability affects multiple versions of the popular open-source team collaboration platform, potentially enabling attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms and gain unauthorized access to user accounts.

Critical Impact

Attackers can exploit this SQL injection flaw to extract password reset tokens and 2FA secrets, enabling complete account takeover of affected Rocket.Chat users.

Affected Products

• Rocket.Chat versions prior to v3.18.6
• Rocket.Chat versions prior to v4.4.4
• Rocket.Chat versions prior to v4.7.3

Discovery Timeline

• 2022-09-23 - CVE-2022-32211 published to NVD
• 2025-05-27 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2022-32211

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-89 (SQL Injection), a critical class of injection flaws that occurs when untrusted data is sent to an interpreter as part of a command or query. In the context of Rocket.Chat, the SQL injection vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate database queries to extract sensitive authentication-related data.

The exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to severe security consequences. By retrieving password reset tokens, an attacker can initiate password resets for target accounts and intercept the token values to complete the reset process themselves. Similarly, extraction of 2FA secrets allows attackers to generate valid time-based one-time passwords (TOTP), effectively bypassing multi-factor authentication protections that users have enabled to secure their accounts.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper sanitization of user-supplied input before it is incorporated into SQL queries. Rocket.Chat failed to adequately validate and escape special characters in user input, allowing malicious SQL statements to be injected and executed against the underlying database. This enables attackers to manipulate query logic and extract data beyond the intended scope of the application's normal operations.

Attack Vector

This vulnerability is exploitable remotely over the network. An attacker with low-privilege access to the Rocket.Chat application can craft malicious requests containing SQL injection payloads. The attack requires no user interaction and can be executed directly against the vulnerable endpoints.

The attack flow typically involves:

1. Identifying the vulnerable input parameter within Rocket.Chat
2. Crafting SQL injection payloads designed to extract authentication tokens
3. Executing the malicious queries to retrieve password reset tokens or 2FA secrets
4. Using the extracted credentials to perform account takeover

For detailed technical information about this vulnerability, refer to the HackerOne Report #1581059.

Detection Methods for CVE-2022-32211

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual database query patterns in Rocket.Chat application logs containing SQL syntax characters such as single quotes, UNION statements, or comment sequences
• Multiple failed authentication attempts followed by successful password resets for the same account
• Unexpected 2FA secret regeneration or access from unrecognized devices
• Anomalous network traffic patterns to Rocket.Chat endpoints with encoded or obfuscated payloads

Detection Strategies

• Deploy web application firewalls (WAF) with SQL injection detection rules configured for Rocket.Chat endpoints
• Implement database activity monitoring to detect unusual query patterns or data exfiltration attempts
• Enable verbose logging on Rocket.Chat and configure SIEM correlation rules for SQL injection attack signatures
• Monitor for authentication anomalies such as password resets from unexpected IP addresses or geographic locations

Monitoring Recommendations

• Review Rocket.Chat application logs regularly for SQL error messages or unusual query execution times
• Implement real-time alerting for authentication-related database table access patterns
• Monitor network traffic for known SQL injection payload patterns targeting Rocket.Chat instances
• Track password reset and 2FA configuration changes across all user accounts

How to Mitigate CVE-2022-32211

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Rocket.Chat to version 3.18.6, 4.4.4, or 4.7.3 or later immediately
• Audit authentication logs for any suspicious password reset or 2FA-related activity prior to patching
• Force password resets for all users if compromise is suspected
• Regenerate 2FA secrets for users who had previously configured multi-factor authentication
• Implement network-level restrictions to limit access to Rocket.Chat instances while patching

Patch Information

Rocket.Chat has released security patches addressing this SQL injection vulnerability. Organizations should upgrade to the following minimum versions based on their deployment:

• For 3.x deployments: Upgrade to version 3.18.6 or later
• For 4.4.x deployments: Upgrade to version 4.4.4 or later
• For 4.7.x deployments: Upgrade to version 4.7.3 or later

Consult your Rocket.Chat deployment documentation for upgrade procedures and ensure database backups are performed before applying updates.

Workarounds

• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection filtering rules as a temporary protective measure
• Restrict network access to Rocket.Chat instances using firewall rules to limit exposure to trusted IP ranges only
• Enable additional monitoring and logging on database queries to detect exploitation attempts
• Consider temporarily disabling password reset functionality if the risk is deemed critical and patching is delayed

# Configuration example
# Example: Configure network restrictions for Rocket.Chat (iptables)
# Limit access to Rocket.Chat port to trusted internal networks only
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 3000 -s 10.0.0.0/8 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 3000 -j DROP

# Verify Rocket.Chat version after upgrade
docker exec rocketchat meteor shell -c "RocketChat.Info.version"