Severity: important
Description:
There are issues with the AGE drivers for Golang and Python that enable SQL
injections to occur. This impacts AGE for PostgreSQL 11 & AGE for PostgreSQL
12, all versions up-to-and-including 1.1.0, when using those drivers.
The fix is to update to the latest Golang and Python drivers in addition to the
latest version of AGE that is used for PostgreSQL 11 orĀ PostgreSQL 12.
The update of AGE will add a new function to enable parameterization of the
cypher() function, which, in conjunction with the driver updates, will resolve
this issue.
Background (for those who want more information):
After thoroughly researching this issue, we found that due to the nature of the
cypher() function, it was not easy to parameterize the values passed into it.
This enabled SQL injections, if the developer of the driver wasn't careful. The
developer of the Golang and Pyton drivers didn't fully utilize
parameterization, likely because of this, thus enabling SQL injections.
The obvious fix to this issue is to use parameterization in the drivers for all
PG SQL queries. However, parameterizing all PG queries is complicated by the
fact that the cypher() function call itself cannot be parameterized directly,
as it isn't a real function. At least, not the parameters that would take the
graph name and cypher query.
The reason the cypher() function cannot have those values parameterized is
because the function is a placeholder and never actually runs. The cypher()
function node, created by PG in the query tree, is transformed and replaced
with a query tree for the actual cypher query during the analyze phase. The
problem is that parameters - that would be passed in and that the cypher()
function transform needs to be resolved - are only resolved in the execution
phase, which is much later. Since the transform of the cypher() function needs
to know the graph name and cypher query prior to execution, they can't be
passed as parameters.
The fix that we are testing right now, and are proposing to use, is to create a
function that will be called prior to the execution of the cypher() function
transform. This new function will allow values to be passed as parameters for
the graph name and cypher query. As this command will be executed prior to the
cypher() function transform, its values will be resolved. These values can then
be cached for the immediately following cypher() function transform to use. As
added features, the cached values will store the calling session's pid, for
validation. And, the cypher() function transform will clear this cached
information after function invocation, regardless of whether it was used.
This method will allow the parameterizing of the cypher() function indirectly
and provide a way to lock out SQL injection attacks.
References:
https://age.apache.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-45786