Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessIdentify exposed DataLife Engine site
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ExploitCraft malicious 'story' parameter to search.php
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ExecutionInject SQL via unsanitized strip_data
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ImpactExtract or alter database records
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization Parameterized queries, prepared statements
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Initial Access, Persistence The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Requires a reachable DataLife Engine installation with the Search Module active (default CMS functionality) and the vulnerable engine/modules/search.php endpoint exposed; exploitation is remote and unauthenticated (PR:N, UI:N) against DataLife Engine 18.0. The main limiting factors are that the product must be version 18.0 (or the affected range) and internet-accessible, and that VulDB rates impact as partial (VC:L/VI:L/VA:L) with exploit maturity only proof-of-concept (E:P) - the injection may be blind/limited rather than a full unauthenticated database dump. No fixed version is confirmed since the vendor did not respond. |
| Impact | This is an unauthenticated, network-reachable SQL injection (CWE-89) in DataLife Engine 18.0's Search Module, and the CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N) confirms it is trivially reachable with no privileges or user interaction. A public exploit exists (VulDB-linked Pastebin), which materially raises real-world risk versus a theoretical finding. However, VulDB rated overall severity only 5.5 by scoring impact as partial across the board (VC:L/VI:L/VA:L, and E:P for proof-of-concept exploit maturity), suggesting a limited or blind injection rather than a demonstrated full-database dump. This is a signal worth reconciling: classic unauthenticated SQLi in a CMS search parameter frequently escalates to full read of credentials/session data (C:H), so the vendor's LOW impact rating may understate realistic worst-case exfiltration - verify against the actual PoC behavior. No EPSS score, no CISA KEV listing, and no CVSS 3.1 vector were provided, so there is no evidence of active exploitation; the practical priority is 'medium and public-exploit-driven' rather than 'critical/emergency,' but the unauthenticated + public-PoC combination makes it a credible target for opportunistic mass scanning against exposed DLE installs. Notably the vendor was contacted and did not respond, so an official patch may not be available. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A remote, unauthenticated attacker sends a crafted HTTP request to engine/modules/search.php manipulating the 'story' argument, which is passed unsafely through strip_data into a SQL query. Because a public exploit is available (Pastebin, referenced by VulDB) and no authentication or user interaction is required, an attacker can automate injection against any internet-exposed DataLife Engine 18.0 site to extract or manipulate database contents. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Sep 23, 2026
SQL injection in DataLife Engine 18.0 allows remote, unauthenticated attackers to manipulate the 'story' parameter in the Search Module's strip_data function, potentially leading to partial data disclosure or modification. Publicly available exploit code exists, and the vendor did not respond to disclosure, so no vendor-released patch is identified at time of analysis. The CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N) confirms network reachability without privileges or user interaction, though impact is limited to low confidentiality and integrity loss per the assessed CVSS 3.1 vector.
RemediationAI
No vendor-released patch is identified at time of analysis because the vendor did not respond to the disclosure. As a compensating control, consider disabling the Search Module if it is not essential; this removes the attack surface but degrades site search functionality. If search must remain enabled, restrict access to engine/modules/search.php or the search endpoint via IP allowlisting, authentication, or rate limiting-trade-offs include reduced usability for legitimate users and potential bypass. Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) with virtual patching rules to block SQL injection patterns targeting the 'story' parameter, but be aware of possible false positives and the need for tuning. Additionally, validate and sanitize all input to the 'story' parameter in custom code or middleware, and monitor database and web server logs for suspicious search queries. Consult the VulDB references at https://vuldb.com/vuln/408972 and https://vuldb.com/vuln/408972/cti for further details.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
The vulnerability is a CWE-89 SQL injection in the PHP-based DataLife Engine content management system. The flawed function strip_data in engine/modules/search.php fails to properly sanitize the user-supplied 'story' parameter before incorporating it into a database query. The CPE string cpe:2.3:a:softnews_media_group:datalife_engine:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* indicates the affected product family, with the specific vulnerable version being 18.0. Because the Search Module is default functionality and the endpoint is remotely reachable with PR:N (no authentication) and UI:N (no user interaction), an attacker can inject SQL commands through crafted search requests. The assessed impact is partial (VC:L/VI:L/VA:L), suggesting that exploitation may yield limited data exposure or modification rather than a full database compromise.
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P
Unauthenticated remote SQLi so AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N; impacts kept to C:L/I:L per vendor's partial rating (blind/limited), though full DB read (C:H) is plausible if the PoC dumps data.
Primary rating from Vendor (VulDB).
CVSS VectorVendor: VulDB
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
A vulnerability was identified in SoftNews Media Group DataLife Engine 18.0. This affects the function strip_data of the file engine/modules/search.php of the component Search Module. The manipulation of the argument story leads to sql injection. The attack can be initiated remotely. The exploit is publicly available and might be used. The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
SQL injection exploits the way applications construct database queries by mixing user input directly into SQL statements.
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EUVD-2026-85711
GHSA-674c-29gj-gv39
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
Exploit-DB