SQL Injection in Grav CMS Database Plugin

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-58492 is a SQL injection vulnerability in the Grav CMS Database plugin's PDO::tableExists() method. Before version 1.2.0, this method directly inserts the table name argument into a raw SQL query without any sanitization, escaping, quoting, or validation. This means that if an attacker can control the table name passed to this method, they can inject malicious SQL code that will be executed by the database.

The vulnerability arises because the table name parameter is concatenated directly into the SQL query string, and the error handling does not prevent the injected SQL from running. An attacker could craft a table name that closes the original query and appends harmful SQL commands.

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Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can have severe impacts including unauthorized information disclosure, data manipulation, privilege escalation, and potentially full server compromise if the database supports file-writing operations.

• Attackers can extract sensitive data by injecting UNION SELECT queries.
• They can create new tables or modify existing records.
• They may escalate privileges within the application or database.
• If the database allows, attackers might write files to the server, leading to further compromise.

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Detection Guidance

This vulnerability involves SQL injection through the PDO::tableExists method in the Grav CMS Database plugin, where attacker-controlled table names are interpolated directly into SQL queries without sanitization.

Detection can focus on monitoring database queries for suspicious or malformed table names that include SQL syntax or commands, especially those that attempt to close queries or append additional SQL statements.

Since the vulnerability is in the application code, network detection might involve inspecting database query logs or application logs for unusual SQL statements or errors related to table existence checks.

Specific commands depend on your database system and logging setup, but examples include:

• For MySQL, check the general query log or slow query log for suspicious queries: `grep -i 'tableExists' /var/log/mysql/mysql.log` or `grep -E "(UNION|SELECT|;|--|')" /var/log/mysql/mysql.log`
• Use SQL queries to search for suspicious table names in the database metadata tables, e.g., `SELECT table_name FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_name LIKE '%;%';` or containing SQL keywords.
• Review application logs for errors or exceptions related to database queries, especially those involving table existence checks.

Automated scanning tools or static code analysis focusing on the Grav plugin versions prior to 1.2.0 can also help detect vulnerable instances.

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Mitigation Strategies

The primary mitigation step is to upgrade the Grav CMS Database plugin to version 1.2.0 or later, where this vulnerability has been fixed.

The fix replaces unsafe direct interpolation of table names with parameterized queries, preventing SQL injection.

If upgrading immediately is not possible, consider applying input validation and sanitization on any user or plugin inputs that influence table names passed to the PDO::tableExists method.

Additionally, review and restrict database permissions to limit the impact of any potential exploitation, such as removing unnecessary privileges that allow data modification or file writing.

Monitor logs for suspicious activity and consider implementing Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection attempts targeting this vulnerability.

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Compliance Impact

The vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands, potentially leading to unauthorized access, disclosure, or modification of sensitive data stored in the database.

Such unauthorized data access or manipulation could result in violations of data protection regulations like GDPR or HIPAA, which mandate strict controls over personal and sensitive information.

Therefore, if exploited, this vulnerability could compromise compliance with these standards by exposing or altering protected data without proper authorization.

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