CVE-2016-9135: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') (CWE-89)
value: Exponent CMS 2.3.9 suffers from a SQL injection vulnerability in "/framework/modules/help/controllers/helpController.php" affecting the version parameter. Impact is Information Disclosure.
CWE description: The product constructs all or part of an SQL command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended SQL command when it is sent to a downstream component. Without sufficient removal or quoting of SQL syntax in user-controllable inputs, the generated SQL query can cause those inputs to be interpreted as SQL instead of ordinary user data.
CVSS v3 base score: 7.5
Published: 2016-11-03T10:59Z
Repository: https://github.com/exponentcms/exponent-cms
Language: PHP
Files changed: framework/core/subsystems/expPaginator.php, framework/modules/help/controllers/helpController.php
Commit date: 2016-10-25 06:58:36 -0400
Commit message: fix 2 vulnerabilities reported by felixk3y

Diff: diff --git a/framework/core/subsystems/expPaginator.php b/framework/core/subsystems/expPaginator.php
index 318c5c1eea..3db6b07c5b 100755
--- a/framework/core/subsystems/expPaginator.php
+++ b/framework/core/subsystems/expPaginator.php
@@ -116,11 +116,11 @@ class expPaginator {
         $this->page = empty($params['page']) ? 1 : intval($params['page']);
 		$this->action = empty($params['action']) ? '' : $params['action'];
 		$this->controller = empty($params['controller']) ? '' : $params['controller'];
 		$this->sql = empty($params['sql']) ? '' : $params['sql'];
         $this->count_sql = empty($params['count_sql']) ? '' : $params['count_sql'];
-		$this->order = empty($params['order']) ? 'id' : expString::escape($params['order']);
+        $this->order = empty($params['order']) ? 'id' : preg_replace('/[^a-z\_]/i','',$params['order']);
 		$this->dir = empty($params['dir']) || !in_array($params['dir'], array('ASC', 'DESC')) ? 'ASC' : $params['dir'];
 		$this->src = empty($params['src']) ? null : expString::escape($params['src']);
         $this->categorize = empty($params['categorize']) ? false : $params['categorize'];
         $this->uncat = !empty($params['uncat']) ? $params['uncat'] : gt('Not Categorized');
         $this->groups = !empty($params['groups']) ? $params['groups'] : array();
diff --git a/framework/modules/help/controllers/helpController.php b/framework/modules/help/controllers/helpController.php
index 1982ea6aee..5df1f03caa 100755
--- a/framework/modules/help/controllers/helpController.php
+++ b/framework/modules/help/controllers/helpController.php
@@ -56,10 +56,11 @@ class helpController extends expController {
              	    $newversion->update($this->params);
                     $version = $newversion->version;
                 }
             }
             if(!empty($params['version'])) {
+                $params['version'] = expString::escape($params['version']);
                 $version = isset($params['version']) ? (($params['version'] == 'current') ? $version : $params['version']) : $version;
             }
             expSession::set('help-version',$version);
         }
         $this->help_version = expSession::get('help-version');

Vulnerable code: 		$this->order = empty($params['order']) ? 'id' : expString::escape($params['order']);
Fixed code:         $this->order = empty($params['order']) ? 'id' : preg_replace('/[^a-z\_]/i','',$params['order']);
                $params['version'] = expString::escape($params['version']);