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CVE-2016-20096 – Unauthenticated SQL Injection – Linknat VOS3000 / VOS2009 through 2.1.2.0

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Summary

CVE-2016-20096 is a critical unauthenticated SQL injection vulnerability in Linknat VOS3000 and VOS2009 VoIP softswitch platforms, affecting all versions through 2.1.2.0. An unauthenticated remote attacker can inject arbitrary SQL commands via the name parameter of the web management login endpoint, retrieving results through a subsequent session request, and obtaining DBA-level access to the underlying database. The vulnerability carries a CVSS 4.0 score of 9.3 (Critical) and has had public exploit code available since May 2016.

Technical details

  • Root cause: The name parameter in the VOS web management login form (POST /eng/login.jsp) is not sanitized before being incorporated into SQL queries, permitting UNION-based SQL injection with no authentication required.
  • Trigger conditions: An attacker sends a crafted HTTP POST request to /eng/login.jsp containing a SQL payload in the name field. The results of the injected query are returned in the body of a subsequent GET request to /eng/welcome.jsp within the same session.
  • Attack vector: Fully remote over the network; no authentication, privileges, or user interaction is required. The affected endpoint is the public-facing web management login page.
  • Impact: Successful exploitation grants DBA-level database privileges, allowing the attacker to extract all database contents — including plaintext user credentials and full system configuration data — and to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database.

Affected software

  • Linknat VOS3000, all versions through 2.1.2.0 (including 2.1.1.5, 2.1.1.8, and 2.1.2.0)
  • Linknat VOS2009, all versions through 2.1.2.0 (including 2.1.1.5, 2.1.1.8, and 2.1.2.0)

Severity

CVSS 4.0 Base Score: 9.3 (Critical)
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Mitigation and recommended actions

  • Immediate: Upgrade to Linknat VOS3000 / VOS2009 version 2.1.2.4 or later, which addresses this vulnerability per the original disclosure.
  • If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict network access to the VOS web management interface — including the /eng/login.jsp endpoint — to trusted IP ranges only, and ensure the management portal is not reachable from the public internet.
  • Audit all credentials stored in the affected database for signs of unauthorized access, as exploitation exposes plaintext credentials to any remote attacker.
  • Be aware that this platform has been actively targeted by CDRThief, a Linux malware documented by ESET in 2020, which specifically queries VOS3000 and VOS2009 MySQL databases to steal call detail records and credentials.

IONIX Status

The IONIX research team is tracking ongoing exploitation attempts and recommends immediate patching. Potentially affected assets are outlined in this post.

References

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