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Virtual Computing LabApplication · Apache

CVE-2018-11772

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v3.0 Published 2019-07-29
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2.5 or later.
See remediation →
78/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Apache VCL versions 2.1 through 2.5 do not properly validate cookie input when determining what node (if any) was previously selected in the privilege tree. The cookie data is then used in an SQL statement. This allows for an SQL injection attack. Access to this portion of a VCL system requires admin level rights. Other layers of security seem to protect against malicious attack. However, all VCL systems running versions earlier than 2.5.1 should be upgraded or patched. This vulnerability was found and reported to the Apache VCL project by ADLab of Venustech.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Apache VCL versions 2.1 through 2.5 contain an SQL injection vulnerability where cookie input is not validated before being used in SQL queries to determine previously selected nodes in the privilege tree. Exploitation requires admin-level access rights.

MitigationUpgrade to Apache VCL version 2.5.1 or later, or apply the relevant patch to properly validate and sanitize cookie input before using it in SQL statements.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Virtual Computing LabApplication
Affected:>= 2.1, <= 2.5

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Determine installed Apache VCL version
    Locate the VCL installation directory and check the version file or header. Common locations include the root VCL directory with a VERSION file, or check the database schema version in the MySQL/PostgreSQL database. Run: `cat /var/www/html/vcl/.ht-inc/main.php` or similar path containing version information, or query the database: `SELECT version FROM version` table.
    Affected if Installed version is 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, or 2.5 (any version from 2.1 through 2.5 inclusive)
  2. Verify Apache VCL web interface is deployed
    Check if the VCL web component is running and accessible. Look for Apache VCL directories under the web root (typically /var/www/html/vcl or /opt/vcl). Confirm the index.php or main entry point exists and the web service is running.
    Affected if The VCL web interface is deployed and accessible on the network
  3. Confirm admin access capability exists
    Check if there are existing admin-level user accounts in the VCL system. Query the database: `SELECT userid, adminlevel FROM user` to identify accounts with administrative privileges. Also verify the admin login page is accessible at the typical path like /vcl/index.php?mode=adminlogin or similar.
    Affected if Admin-level accounts exist and the admin login interface is accessible
  4. Inspect cookie handling code for the privilege tree
    Examine the VCL source code files that handle cookie input for the privilege tree functionality. Look for files in the management node or web code that process cookies and construct SQL queries. Search for patterns like $_COOKIE being used directly in SQL without sanitization, typically in privilege-related modules.
    Affected if Code exists that uses cookie values directly in SQL queries for privilege tree operations without input validation

The environment is affected if Apache VCL version 2.1 through 2.5 is installed, the web interface is accessible, and the vulnerable cookie-handling code for the privilege tree is present and in use.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 2.5
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to Apache VCL version 2.5.1 or later, or apply the relevant patch to properly validate and sanitize cookie input before using it in SQL statements.

Fix this in Virtual Computing Lab Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-11772 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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