CVE-2022-21644 is a medium-severity SQL Injection vulnerability affecting the Aaron-Junker USOC content management system (CMS), specifically versions prior to Pb2.4Bfx2. USOC is an open-source CMS designed for simplicity, and this vulnerability arises from improper input sanitization in the usersearch.php component. The search functionality, which is restricted to site administrators, directly incorporates user-supplied search terms into SQL queries without adequate neutralization of special characters or parameterization. This flaw allows an authenticated admin user to inject malicious SQL code, potentially manipulating the backend database. Although exploitation requires administrative privileges, the vulnerability can lead to unauthorized data access, data modification, or even complete compromise of the database integrity. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, and no workarounds exist, making timely patching essential. The absence of a CVSS score necessitates an independent severity assessment based on the vulnerability's characteristics.

For European organizations using the USOC CMS, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive data managed within the CMS. Since only site administrators can perform searches, the attack surface is limited to privileged users; however, if an attacker gains or already possesses admin credentials, they could exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary SQL commands. This could result in unauthorized data disclosure, data tampering, or deletion, potentially disrupting business operations or damaging organizational reputation. Given that USOC is an open-source CMS with a niche focus, the impact is likely concentrated in smaller organizations or specific sectors relying on this platform. However, any breach involving administrative access can have cascading effects, including lateral movement within networks or exposure of sensitive European data subject to GDPR regulations, thereby incurring legal and financial penalties.

1. Immediate upgrade to the latest USOC version Pb2.4Bfx2 or later, where the vulnerability is patched, is the primary mitigation step. 2. Restrict administrative access strictly using multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 3. Implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of the CMS backend to trusted IP addresses only. 4. Conduct regular audits of admin user activities and database logs to detect anomalous queries indicative of SQL injection attempts. 5. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious SQL injection patterns targeting usersearch.php. 6. If immediate patching is not feasible, consider temporarily disabling the search functionality or restricting it further until an update is applied. 7. Educate administrators on secure credential management and monitoring for phishing attempts that could lead to credential theft.