Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain Zen Cart admin or SQLi foothold
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ExploitInject payload into configuration_value via SQL Patch tool
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Executionzen_call_function processes tainted use_function
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ImpactExecute injected PHP code
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization Code injection prevention, sandbox exec
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, Initial Access The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires that the attacker can write arbitrary values into the |
| Impact | This is a low-priority issue that scores low on nearly every signal, and the signals are internally consistent rather than conflicting. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 2.1 (Low), driven by AC:H (high attack complexity - the input explicitly states 'Attacks of this nature are highly complex' and 'exploitability is told to be difficult') and PR:H (high privileges required). Crucially, the vendor disputes independent exploitability, stating the only way to control the |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who has already obtained Zen Cart administrator access (or chained a separate SQL injection) writes a malicious payload into the |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 12, 2026
Code injection in Zen Cart through 2.2.2 lets an attacker who already has privileged admin/database write access to the configuration table supply a malicious use_function value that zen_call_function() in admin/includes/functions/general.php then invokes as PHP, achieving limited code execution (low confidentiality, integrity and availability impact). The attack is network-reachable but rated highly complex and requires high privileges (CVSS:4.0 PR:H / assessed CVSS:3.1 PR:H, AC:H, base score 2.1), because the vendor states the only ways to control use_function/configuration_value are the admin SQL Patch tool (raw SQL execution) or a separate pre-existing SQL injection - normal unprivileged input does not reach it. Publicly available exploit code exists per the disclosed proof-of-concept, but there is no evidence of confirmed active exploitation and the vendor explicitly rejects the issue as independently exploitable.
RemediationAI
No vendor-released patch was identified at time of analysis, and the vendor does not treat this as an independently exploitable vulnerability, so an official fix version should not be assumed - track the VulDB entry (https://vuldb.com/vuln/416603) and Zen Cart release notes for any upstream guidance. Prioritize the actual prerequisites rather than the sink: restrict and monitor the admin SQL Patch tool, since it is the documented path to controlling use_function (consider removing the SQL Patch menu item / the corresponding admin file when not actively installing or upgrading modules - the trade-off is that legitimate module installations and version upgrades that ship SQL patches will need it temporarily re-enabled, and a manual database change process instead). Enforce strong admin authentication, IP allowlisting or VPN-only access to /admin/, and MFA if available to make the required PR:H access harder to obtain, accepting the operational friction for remote administrators. Audit the configuration table for unexpected or attacker-supplied use_function/configuration_value rows and search application/database logs for anomalous SQL execution, since successful exploitation implies either an admin compromise or a separate SQL injection that must be found and fixed independently. If a chained SQLi is suspected, treat it as the higher-priority issue and remediate it directly; blocking external access to the admin directory reduces exposure to that chaining path but does not fix the underlying code-injection logic.
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
Zen Cart is a PHP-based e-commerce platform; its configuration table stores key/value rows where configuration_value can be paired with a use_function column naming a PHP callable. The affected routine, zen_call_function() in admin/includes/functions/general.php (Administrative Module Management component), resolves and executes that callable, so an attacker who can write an arbitrary use_function string into the configuration table can cause attacker-chosen PHP code/functions to run - the classic CWE-94 code-injection pattern where data is treated as executable code without validation. The reported tag set (PHP, code injection, SQLi, RCE) reflects that this is a post-compromise / chained primitive rather than a directly reachable unauthenticated sink: the vulnerability record itself notes the attack path is remote but highly complex and difficult to exploit, and the vendor clarifies that reaching the sink requires either the admin SQL Patch tool (which already grants raw arbitrary SQL execution) or an independent SQL injection vulnerability in the application. The CPE entry cpe:2.3:a:n/a:zen_cart:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* indicates all versions up to and including 2.2.2 are in scope, and the disclosed proof-of-concept lives at the cdkkx.github.io reference linked from the VulDB entry.
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P
PR:H and AC:H because exploitation requires admin SQL Patch access or a pre-existing SQLi and is vendor-described as difficult; impacts kept Low as the actor already holds privileged DB control.
Primary rating from Vendor (VulDB).
CVSS VectorVendor: VulDB
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
A vulnerability was determined in Zen Cart up to 2.2.2. Affected is the function zen_call_function of the file admin/includes/functions/general.php of the component Administrative Module Management. Executing a manipulation of the argument use_function can lead to code injection. The attack can be launched remotely. Attacks of this nature are highly complex. The exploitability is told to be difficult. The exploit has been publicly disclosed and may be utilized. The vendor explains: "We don't consider this an independently exploitable vulnerability. The only path to controlling use_function/configuration_value in the configuration table is the SQL Patch tool (raw arbitrary SQL execution) or a pre-existing SQL injection elsewhere".
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.
Code injection occurs when an application accepts user input and passes it directly into a language interpreter or evaluator without proper sanitization.
Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.
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In index.php in Zen Cart 1.6.0, the products_id parameter can cause XSS. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.1), this vulnerab
SQL injection in Zen Cart 2.2.2 and earlier within the admin/modules.php Module Configuration interface allows an authen
EUVD-2026-97333
GHSA-33w2-mcjh-6xp5
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
VulDB
Exploit-DB