Description

A flaw has been found in SEMCMS up to 5.0. This impacts an unknown function of the file SEMCMS_Banner.php. Executing a manipulation can lead to sql injection. It is possible to launch the attack remotely. The exploit has been published and may be used. The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "6.3",
  "pubDate": "2026-10-12T08:17:19.593Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-10-12T08:17:19.593Z",
  "executiveSummary": "A critical SQL injection vulnerability exists in SEMCMS versions up to 5.0.\nThe flaw resides within the SEMCMS_Banner.php file, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database.\nThis vulnerability stems from improper sanitization of user-supplied input before it is included in database queries.\nSuccessful exploitation allows an attacker to manipulate the database structure, bypass authentication mechanisms, exfiltrate sensitive information, or potentially execute administrative operations within the application environment.\nGiven that public exploit code is available and the vendor has remained unresponsive to disclosure efforts, the risk to organizations deploying SEMCMS is elevated, necessitating immediate manual intervention to mitigate the exposure.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability is classified as an SQL injection, occurring due to the application's failure to adequately validate or parameterize input parameters processed by the SEMCMS_Banner.php file.\nThe root cause of this flaw is the insecure concatenation of client-supplied HTTP request data—likely GET or POST parameters—directly into SQL query strings executed by the backend database management system.\nBecause the application does not utilize prepared statements or parameterized queries, it is susceptible to malicious SQL command injection, allowing an attacker to escape the intended query context and execute arbitrary statements.\nThe attack flow initiates with the attacker identifying the vulnerable entry point within SEMCMS_Banner.php. By injecting SQL meta-characters and custom payloads into the affected parameters, the attacker can alter the logic of the backend SQL statement.\nFor example, by appending union-based SQL injection operators, an attacker can extract data from other tables within the database schema. Alternatively, error-based or time-blind injection techniques can be employed to infer database structure and content if the application suppresses direct output.\nThe exploitation process is remote and does not require prior authentication, significantly lowering the barrier to entry for adversaries. Once the application processes the crafted request, the database executes the malicious command with the privileges of the database user configured for the application.\nPost-exploitation, an attacker can achieve significant impact, including unauthorized access to administrative credentials, modification of site content, and potential full database compromise. Furthermore, depending on database configuration and permissions, this could potentially lead to further escalation, such as reading or writing files on the underlying host operating system.\nAs the exploit vector is publicly available, the attack surface is active, and the lack of vendor response means no official patch exists to address the underlying coding error within the affected files.\nDefensive efforts must focus on structural changes to how the application handles database interactions, as the current implementation of SEMCMS_Banner.php lacks the necessary security controls to prevent this class of vulnerability."
}