CVE-2021-38159

What is this vulnerability?

CVE-2021-38159 is categorized as a critical SQL Injection flaw with a CVSS base score of 9.8. Based on our vulnerability intelligence, this issue occurs when the application fails to securely handle untrusted data boundaries.

In certain Progress MOVEit Transfer versions before 2021.0.4 (aka 13.0.4), SQL injection in the MOVEit Transfer web application could allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to gain access to the database. Depending on the database engine being used (MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, or Azure SQL), an attacker may be able to infer information about the structure and contents of the database, or execute SQL statements that alter or delete database elements, via crafted strings sent to unique MOVEit Transfer transaction types. The fixed versions are 2019.0.8 (11.0.8), 2019.1.7 (11.1.7), 2019.2.4 (11.2.4), 2020.0.7 (12.0.7), 2020.1.6 (12.1.6), and 2021.0.4 (13.0.4).

This architectural defect enables adversaries to bypass intended security controls, directly manipulating the application's execution state or data layer. Immediate strategic intervention is required.

Risk Assessment

Impact on Systems

✅ Data Exfiltration: Attackers can extract sensitive data from backend databases, configuration files, or internal services.

✅ Authentication Bypass: Exploiting this flaw may allow unauthorized access to protected resources and administrative interfaces.

✅ Lateral Movement: Once initial access is gained, attackers can pivot to internal systems and escalate privileges.

How to Fix and Mitigate CVE-2021-38159

1. Apply Vendor Patches: Upgrade affected components to their latest, non-vulnerable versions immediately.
2. Implement Input Validation: Ensure all user-supplied data is validated, sanitized, and type-checked before processing.
3. Deploy Runtime Protection: Use Precogs continuous monitoring to detect exploitation attempts in real time.
4. Audit Dependencies: Review and update all third-party libraries and transitive dependencies.

Defending with Precogs AI

Progress MOVEit Transfer contains a critical vulnerability (such as SQL injection). Attackers exploit improperly sanitized inputs to access or download sensitive files from the secure transfer appliance without authentication. Precogs Application Security Module maps untrusted parameters to database execution sinks.

Use Precogs to continuously scan your codebase, binaries, APIs, and infrastructure for this vulnerability class and related attack patterns. Our AI-powered detection engine combines static analysis with threat intelligence to identify exploitable weaknesses before attackers do.

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Vulnerability Code Signature

Attack Data Flow

Vulnerable Code Pattern

# ❌ VULNERABLE: Direct string concatenation
def get_user(user_id):
    query = "SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = '" + user_id + "'"
    cursor.execute(query)  # Taint sink: unparameterized query
    return cursor.fetchone()

Secure Code Pattern

# ✅ SECURE: Parameterized query
def get_user(user_id):
    query = "SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = %s"
    cursor.execute(query, (user_id,))  # Sanitized binding
    return cursor.fetchone()

How Precogs Detects This

Precogs AI Analysis Engine traces data flow from HTTP request parameters through string concatenation directly into database execution sinks, identifying critical SQL injection vectors via Code Property Graph traversal.\n