Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Fuel CMS 1.4.13 has a database injection flaw in its Activity Log feature. An authenticated attacker could abuse the vulnerable parameter to infer sensitive database contents. This is not listed in CISA KEV, but a public ExploitDB entry exists, so exposed administrative access should be treated seriously.
Executive priority
Prioritize within the normal high-severity remediation cycle, faster if Fuel CMS admin access is internet-facing. The main business risk is unauthorized database information disclosure after credential compromise or misuse by an authenticated user.
Technical view
CVE-2021-47980 is a CWE-89 blind SQL injection in Fuel CMS 1.4.13. The vulnerable input is the Activity Log interface 'col' parameter on the logs endpoint. CVSS 4.0 is 7.1, with network access, low attack complexity, low privileges, no user interaction, high confidentiality impact, and low integrity impact.
Likely exposure
Organizations running Fuel CMS 1.4.13 are potentially exposed, especially if the CMS administrative interface is reachable from untrusted networks. The source bundle identifies only version 1.4.13 as affected; broader version impact is not established here.
Exploitation context
A public ExploitDB reference exists, indicating exploit knowledge is available. The provided sources do not show CISA KEV listing or confirmed active exploitation. Abuse requires authenticated access, but weak, shared, or compromised CMS credentials could make the issue practical.
Researcher notes
Do not assume affected versions beyond Fuel CMS 1.4.13 from these sources. Patch status is not specified in the provided bundle. Treat ExploitDB as public exploit availability, not evidence of active exploitation. Validate exposure through versioning, access controls, and log review rather than active attack reproduction.
Mitigation direction
- Identify any Fuel CMS 1.4.13 deployments.
- Restrict CMS administrative access to trusted networks or VPN.
- Review Fuel CMS and VulnCheck guidance for fixed versions or vendor remediation.
- Reduce Activity Log access to users with a business need.
- Prioritize replacing or upgrading version 1.4.13 if vendor guidance confirms a safe path.
Validation and detection
- Confirm the installed Fuel CMS version from application inventory or deployment records.
- Check whether administrative endpoints are internet-accessible.
- Review logs for unusual Activity Log requests involving the col parameter.
- Look for abnormal response-time patterns around logs endpoint access.
- Verify remediation status against vendor or advisory documentation.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-89: Database access and collection lookup
Injection into data stores can inform collection, data access, and exfiltration detection reviews. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupDatabase behavior lookup
The CVE wording references database injection or access, so collection and exfiltration review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-47980 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.1 (4.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
2 official scoresWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N——VulnCheckCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N2.84.2VulnCheckVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 4.0 score
7.1HighVector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.1HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- ExploitDB-50523CVE reference, VulnCheck · exploit
- Official Product HomepageCVE reference, VulnCheck · product
- Product ReferenceCVE reference, VulnCheck · product
- VulnCheck Advisory: Fuel CMS 1.4.13 Blind SQL Injection via col ParameterCVE reference, VulnCheck · third-party-advisory
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.