CVE-2022-38107 is a medium severity vulnerability identified in SolarWinds SQL Sentry, a performance monitoring and tuning tool for SQL Server environments. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-209, which pertains to information exposure through error messages. Specifically, this flaw allows detailed technical error messages to be displayed that may inadvertently disclose sensitive environmental information. Such information could include system configurations, software versions, or other internal details that an attacker could leverage to better understand the target environment and craft more effective attacks. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.3, indicating a moderate risk. It is remotely exploitable without authentication or user interaction (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N), meaning an attacker can trigger the error message simply by sending crafted requests to the vulnerable system. However, the impact is limited to confidentiality as the vulnerability does not affect integrity or availability. No known exploits are reported in the wild, and no specific affected versions were detailed in the source information. The lack of a patch link suggests that remediation may require vendor updates or configuration changes to suppress detailed error messages. Overall, this vulnerability represents a classic information disclosure risk that could serve as a stepping stone for more complex attacks if combined with other vulnerabilities or attack vectors.

For European organizations using SolarWinds SQL Sentry, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk primarily related to information disclosure. Exposure of sensitive internal details can aid attackers in reconnaissance, increasing the likelihood of successful targeted attacks such as privilege escalation, lateral movement, or data exfiltration. Organizations in sectors with high-value data or critical infrastructure—such as finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and government—may face increased risk if attackers leverage disclosed information to bypass defenses. While the vulnerability itself does not directly compromise data integrity or availability, the indirect consequences of enhanced attacker knowledge can lead to more severe breaches. Additionally, given the regulatory environment in Europe, including GDPR, any unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information—even environmental or system details—could have compliance implications. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate threat but does not eliminate the risk, especially as threat actors may develop exploits over time.

To mitigate CVE-2022-38107, European organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Review and configure SQL Sentry and associated web/application servers to disable detailed error messages in production environments, ensuring that only generic error information is displayed to users. 2) Apply any vendor-provided patches or updates as soon as they become available; if none are currently released, monitor SolarWinds advisories closely. 3) Implement strict network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of SQL Sentry interfaces to trusted internal networks or VPN users only, reducing the attack surface. 4) Conduct regular security assessments and penetration tests focusing on error handling and information leakage to identify and remediate similar issues proactively. 5) Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) or intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) to detect and block suspicious requests that may trigger error messages. 6) Train IT and security staff to recognize the risks associated with verbose error messages and enforce secure coding and configuration practices across all applications and services.