CVE-2023-38221 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A detailed analysis of the SQL Injection vulnerability in Adobe Commerce versions 2.4.7-beta1 and earlier.

Understanding CVE-2023-38221

This CVE involves an SQL Injection vulnerability in Adobe Commerce.

What is CVE-2023-38221?

Adobe Commerce versions 2.4.7-beta1 and earlier are affected by an SQL Injection vulnerability that could allow an admin-privilege authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code without user interaction. The attack complexity is high due to the requirement of advanced tooling.

The Impact of CVE-2023-38221

The vulnerability has a high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. An attacker exploiting this flaw could potentially execute arbitrary code with admin privileges, posing a severe security risk.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-38221

This section provides a deeper look into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command (CWE-89), enabling attackers to perform SQL Injection attacks.

Affected Systems and Versions

Adobe Commerce versions 2.4.7-beta1, 2.4.6-p2, 2.4.5-p4, and 2.4.4-p5 are confirmed to be impacted by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability via time-based blind SQL injection, specifically through customer segment rule configuration at POST /admin/customersegment/index/save/key/{key}/back/edit product attribute.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems against CVE-2023-38221 is crucial to prevent potential exploits.

Immediate Steps to Take

Adobe has released patches to address this vulnerability. Ensure that you update the Adobe Commerce version to a secure release.
Monitor network traffic and access logs for any suspicious activity.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
Employ web application firewalls to filter and monitor HTTP traffic.

Patching and Updates

Keep Adobe Commerce and all related software up to date with the latest security patches to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities.