CVE-2026-71287
Description
A flaw was found in Cacti. An authenticated user, regardless of their privilege level, can exploit a vulnerability where user-supplied input for sorting database columns is not properly sanitized. This allows for the injection of malicious SQL commands, leading to time-based blind SQL injection. The primary consequence is the potential for unauthorized access to sensitive information stored in the Cacti database.
Statement
This flaw is rated Important because any authenticated Cacti user, regardless of privilege level, can inject arbitrary SQL into the ORDER BY clause via the sort_column parameter (e.g. SLEEP(5)), since sanitize_sql_column()'s allowlist regex fails to strip parentheses. This allows blind, time-based extraction of the entire Cacti database (C:H) and can degrade availability through sustained query delays (A:H), with no user interaction and low attack complexity required. This component is shipped only in EPEL. Red Hat does not ship this component in any core Red Hat products.
Mitigation
Red Hat has investigated whether a possible mitigation exists for this issue, and has not been able to identify a practical example. Please update the affected package as soon as possible.
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Confidentiality,Integrity,Availability
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Adversaries could execute system commands, typically by changing the SQL statement to redirect output to a file that can then be executed.
Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Read Application Data
Since SQL databases generally hold sensitive data, loss of confidentiality is a frequent problem with SQL injection vulnerabilities.
Authentication
Technical Impact: Gain Privileges or Assume Identity; Bypass Protection Mechanism
If poor SQL commands are used to check user names and passwords or perform other kinds of authentication, it may be possible to connect to the product as another user with no previous knowledge of the password.
Access Control
Technical Impact: Bypass Protection Mechanism
If authorization information is held in a SQL database, it may be possible to change this information through the successful exploitation of a SQL injection vulnerability.
Integrity
Technical Impact: Modify Application Data
Just as it may be possible to read sensitive information, it is also possible to modify or even delete this information with a SQL injection attack.
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