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Actively exploited in the wild. This CVE is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list — treat remediation as urgent. Federal remediation due by 17 Nov 2021. Known ransomware use
Billquick Web SuiteApplication · Bqe

CVE-2021-42258

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-10-22
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 22.0.9.1 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
In the wild Ransomware High EPSS Public exploit Remotely reachable No privileges 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
BQE BillQuick Web Suite 2018 through 2021 before 22.0.9.1 allows SQL injection for unauthenticated remote code execution, as exploited in the wild in October 2021 for ransomware installation. SQL injection can, for example, use the txtID (aka username) parameter. Successful exploitation can include the ability to execute arbitrary code as MSSQLSERVER$ via xp_cmdshell.

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

SQL injection vulnerability in BQE BillQuick Web Suite 2018-2021 (before 22.0.9.1) in the txtID (username) authentication parameter allows unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary SQL queries, leading to remote code execution as the MSSQLSERVER$ service account via xp_cmdshell. This was actively exploited in the wild in October 2021 for ransomware deployment.

MitigationImmediately upgrade to version 22.0.9.1 or later to remediate the SQL injection. As an interim control, restrict network access to the BillQuick Web Suite interface and disable xp_cmdshell on the MSSQL server until patching is complete.

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
Billquick Web SuiteApplication
Affected:>= 19, < 22.0.9.1

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
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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. Identify if BillQuick Web Suite is installed
    Locate the BillQuick Web Suite installation directory or check for IIS/Apache web applications hosting BQE software. Common locations include C:\inetpub\wwwroot\BQEWebSuite or similar paths under the web server root.
    Affected if BillQuick Web Suite application files are found on the server
  2. Determine the installed version
    Check the application version. This is typically visible on the login page, in the application's about page, or in a version file within the installation directory. Compare your installed version to the affected ranges: >= 19 and < 22.0.9.1.
    Affected if The installed version falls within the range of 19.x through 22.0.9.0
  3. Verify the web interface is network accessible
    Determine if the BillQuick Web Suite login page (typically at /web/ or /websec/) is reachable from network locations. Attempt to access the txtID parameter on the login form from an external or untrusted network.
    Affected if The web login page is exposed to untrusted networks without proper network segmentation or authentication barriers
  4. Confirm MSSQLSERVER is in use with xp_cmdshell enabled
    On the server hosting BillQuick, check if the MSSQLSERVER service is running and query the SQL Server configuration to determine if xp_cmdshell is enabled. This can be done via SQL Server Management Studio or by running: EXEC sp_configure 'xp_cmdshell';
    Affected if The database runs on MSSQLSERVER with xp_cmdshell configuration value set to 1 (enabled)

You are affected if BillQuick Web Suite version 19 through 22.0.9.0 is installed, the web interface is network-accessible, and the underlying MSSQLSERVER has xp_cmdshell enabled, allowing unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 22.0.9.1 or later
Fixed in 22.0.9.1
Interim mitigation

Immediately upgrade to version 22.0.9.1 or later to remediate the SQL injection. As an interim control, restrict network access to the BillQuick Web Suite interface and disable xp_cmdshell on the MSSQL server until patching is complete.

Recommended fix High confidence

22.0.9.1 or later

  1. 1. Obtain BillQuick Web Suite version 22.0.9.1 or later from the official BQE software vendor
  2. 2. Schedule a maintenance window for the upgrade
  3. 3. Take a complete backup of the database and application files before proceeding
  4. 4. Install version 22.0.9.1 or latest stable release following vendor documentation
  5. 5. Verify the application is accessible and functional after upgrade
  6. 6. Check system logs and database for any signs of compromise from prior exploitation
  7. 7. Change any default or compromised credentials
  8. 8. Verify SQL injection vulnerability is no longer present by confirming the txtID parameter is properly sanitized
Caveat Verify compatibility with existing integrations and custom configurations before production deployment

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Billquick Web Suite Exploited in the wild — priority engagement
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
21.0 hours of engineering $3,680
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,888.

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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-2021-42258 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data