CVE-2023-54340 Overview
CVE-2023-54340 is a SQL Injection vulnerability affecting WorkOrder CMS version 0.1.0. This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to bypass the login mechanism by manipulating the username and password parameters in authentication requests. Attackers can inject malicious SQL queries using techniques such as OR '1'='1' and stacked queries to access sensitive database information or execute administrative commands without valid credentials.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers can completely bypass authentication controls, potentially gaining full administrative access to the CMS and underlying database, leading to data theft, modification, or complete system compromise.
Affected Products
- WorkOrder CMS 0.1.0
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-01-13 - CVE-2023-54340 published to NVD
- 2026-01-13 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2023-54340
Vulnerability Analysis
This SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) exists in the authentication mechanism of WorkOrder CMS. The application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input in the login form before incorporating it into SQL queries. When a user submits login credentials, the username and password fields are directly concatenated into SQL statements without parameterization or proper escaping.
The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability means that any attacker with network access to the CMS login page can attempt exploitation without requiring any prior authentication or special privileges. The vulnerability enables high-impact confidentiality breaches through unauthorized database access, while also allowing some integrity impacts through potential data manipulation.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper input validation and the use of dynamic SQL query construction. The WorkOrder CMS authentication handler directly incorporates user-supplied input into SQL queries without using prepared statements or parameterized queries. This classic SQL Injection pattern allows attackers to modify the intended query logic by injecting SQL metacharacters and additional query syntax.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based and requires no authentication. Attackers target the login form's username and password parameters, injecting SQL syntax that alters the authentication query's logic. Common exploitation techniques include:
- Boolean-based injection: Using payloads like ' OR '1'='1 to make authentication conditions always evaluate as true
- Stacked queries: Appending additional SQL statements using semicolons to execute arbitrary database commands
- UNION-based injection: Extracting data from other database tables by appending UNION SELECT statements
The vulnerability can be exploited through standard HTTP POST requests to the login endpoint, making it trivially exploitable with basic tools or even manual browser manipulation.
Detection Methods for CVE-2023-54340
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual login attempts containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes ('), double dashes (--), semicolons (;), or SQL keywords in authentication logs
- Multiple failed login attempts followed by successful authentication from the same source IP
- Database error messages appearing in application responses or logs indicating malformed SQL queries
- Unexpected database queries or data access patterns in database audit logs
Detection Strategies
- Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common SQL injection patterns in login form submissions
- Implement input validation monitoring to alert on requests containing SQL metacharacters in authentication parameters
- Enable verbose database logging to capture and analyze all queries executed against the authentication database
- Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for SQL injection attack patterns
Monitoring Recommendations
- Monitor authentication logs for login attempts containing encoded or obfuscated SQL syntax
- Set up alerts for successful logins that bypass normal authentication workflows or contain anomalous parameter values
- Implement rate limiting and anomaly detection on the login endpoint to identify automated exploitation attempts
- Review database audit logs regularly for unexpected administrative operations or data exfiltration patterns
How to Mitigate CVE-2023-54340
Immediate Actions Required
- Restrict network access to the WorkOrder CMS login page using firewall rules or IP allowlisting
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules in front of the vulnerable application
- Consider taking the application offline if it contains sensitive data until a patch is available or mitigations are confirmed effective
- Review database logs for evidence of prior exploitation and potential data compromise
Patch Information
No vendor patch information is currently available for this vulnerability. Organizations should monitor the GitHub Repository for WorkOrderCMS for updates and security releases. Additional technical details are available in the VulnCheck SQL Injection Advisory and Exploit-DB #51038.
Workarounds
- Implement a reverse proxy or WAF that sanitizes input parameters and blocks requests containing SQL injection patterns before they reach the application
- Apply network segmentation to limit which users and systems can access the WorkOrder CMS login interface
- If possible, modify the application source code to use prepared statements or parameterized queries for all database interactions
- Deploy additional authentication layers such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) or IP-based access controls as defense-in-depth measures
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
