Winzipices.cn SQL injection attack

Web sites hit by the “winzipices.cn” SQL injection attack have their web page contents modified to point to malware that is automatically downloaded by any visitor to the site. These sites are all vulnerable to SQL injection (or have recently been vulnerable) and were hacked by this automated hacker toolkit. In addition, by executing a Google search on the malware server name, hackers can find sites that have been already been exploited.

The “winzipices.cn” SQL injection attack is aimed at web applications based on Microsoft’s IIS web server and SQL Server and has hit over 500,000 websites, including the United Nations, UK Government sites and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The automated attack takes advantage of the fact that Microsoft’s SQL Server allows generic commands that don’t require specific table-level arguments. The vulnerability is the result of poor data handling by the sites’ creators, rather than a specific Microsoft flaw. The attack injects malicious JavaScript code into every text field in the database. The Javascript then displays in the site’s pages and loads an external script that can compromise a user’s PC.

According to Microsoft, there’s no patch to fix the issue — the vulnerability lies in custom ASP code that fails to follow well-established security practices for handling database input. Also, according to Microsoft, if your site has been affected, you will need to restore your database from a clean backup copy and start reviewing your code to make sure all input is properly sanitized.

Source: Rapid7.