CVE-2020-7471 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Django 1.11 before 1.11.28, 2.2 before 2.2.10, and 3.0 before 3.0.3 allows SQL Injection if untrusted data is used as a StringAgg delimiter. This vulnerability could be exploited in Django applications that provide data downloads with user-specified column delimiters.

Understanding CVE-2020-7471

This CVE identifies a SQL Injection vulnerability in Django versions prior to specified releases.

What is CVE-2020-7471?

Django versions before 1.11.28, 2.2.10, and 3.0.3 are susceptible to SQL Injection when untrusted data is utilized as a StringAgg delimiter. Attackers could inject malicious SQL by manipulating the delimiter in a contrib.postgres.aggregates.StringAgg instance.

The Impact of CVE-2020-7471

Exploiting this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access, data manipulation, or even data loss in Django applications that allow user-controlled delimiters.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-7471

This section delves into the specifics of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw in Django versions prior to 1.11.28, 2.2.10, and 3.0.3 enables SQL Injection by using untrusted data as a StringAgg delimiter, potentially allowing attackers to inject malicious SQL code.

Affected Systems and Versions

Django 1.11 before 1.11.28
Django 2.2 before 2.2.10
Django 3.0 before 3.0.3

Exploitation Mechanism

By crafting a specific delimiter and passing it to a StringAgg instance, attackers can bypass escaping mechanisms and inject harmful SQL queries.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from this vulnerability requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Django to versions 1.11.28, 2.2.10, or 3.0.3 to mitigate the SQL Injection risk.
Review and sanitize user inputs to prevent injection attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement input validation and output encoding to prevent SQL Injection vulnerabilities.
Regularly monitor and update Django and other dependencies to address security issues.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches provided by Django to fix the SQL Injection vulnerability.