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The vulnerability CVE-2026-42096, found in Sparx Pro Cloud Server (PCS), is a critical Broken Access Control flaw that allows any low-privileged user to execute arbitrary SQL commands directly on the backend database. The core issue is the complete lack of server-side permission checks when handling communication between the PCS web service and its database. The system is designed for the Enterprise Architect (EA) client to send encrypted SQL requests to the PCS endpoint /SparxCloudLink.sseap. However, the encryption is symmetric and the key is hardcoded within the EA client binary (which is publicly downloadable as a trial). An attacker, even with low privileges, can trivially extract this hardcoded key. This allows them to craft arbitrary encrypted SQL queries that PCS will execute without any further permission checks, effectively bypassing the application’s intended access controls. The server performs no validation of the user’s authority for the specific SQL operation, executing the command with the full privileges of the configured database user. As the database user typically has full access, an attacker can read, modify, or delete any data in the connected databases, and even compromise the entire model database. The vendor (Sparx Systems) was notified early but did not provide a vulnerable version range. The issue is confirmed in all tested versions up to and including 6.1 (build 167), with later versions not tested. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over HTTP/HTTPS and has a critical CVSS score of 9.4.
DailyCVE Form:
Platform: Sparx Pro Cloud Server
Version: <=6.1 build167
Vulnerability: Broken Access Control
Severity: Critical (9.4)
date: 2026-05-19
Prediction: 2026-06-16
What Undercode Say:
Analytics logs show unexpected encrypted queries to `/SparxCloudLink.sseap`.
Monitor for suspicious large encrypted payloads
sudo grep "SparxCloudLink.sseap" /var/log/pcs/access.log | awk '{print $1, $7, $9, $10}'
Check for database login anomalies from PCS service account
sudo grep "Login failed for user" /var/log/mssql/server.log
Extract the embedded symmetric key from the EA client:
Download a trial EA client and extract strings, looking for keys (example) wget http://example.com/easetup.msi msiextract easetup.msi strings -n 8 .dll | grep -i "key" Key is often a static 32-byte hex string
Craft a malicious encrypted SQL query in Python:
Note: This is a simplified conceptual example.
from Crypto.Cipher import AES
import base64
key = bytes.fromhex("static_hardcoded_key_32bytes") Extracted from EA binary
iv = b'\x00'16
cipher = AES.new(key, AES.MODE_CBC, iv=iv)
sql_command = "SELECT FROM users"
payload = base64.b64encode(cipher.encrypt(sql_command.encode().ljust(64)))
print(payload)
Exploit:
A remote attacker can:
- Extract the encryption key: Obtain the hardcoded symmetric key from the publicly available Enterprise Architect client binaries.
- Craft arbitrary SQL commands: Using the extracted key, the attacker encrypts any SQL statement they wish to execute.
- Send the exploit payload: The crafted encrypted payload is sent directly to the vulnerable `/SparxCloudLink.sseap` endpoint via a POST request.
- Gain unauthorized control: The server, lacking permission checks, executes the attacker’s arbitrary SQL within the database user context.
Protection:
- Vendor Patch: Currently, no official vendor patch is available. Continuously monitor Sparx Systems for a security update.
- Network Isolation: Immediately isolate all Sparx Pro Cloud Server instances from the internet and any untrusted networks.
- Database Hardening: Change the database user used by PCS to have the strictest possible permissions (e.g., read-only) and ensure it has no access to system or administrative databases.
- Use a Reverse Proxy: Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) or a reverse proxy to inspect and drop requests to the `/SparxCloudLink.sseap` endpoint that contain anomalous or unauthorized SQL patterns.
- Monitor Logs: Implement thorough logging and monitoring of both PCS access logs and database transaction logs to detect any potential exploitation attempts.
Impact:
Successful exploitation leads to a complete compromise of the database connected to the Sparx Pro Cloud Server. An attacker can:
– Read Sensitive Data: Exfiltrate any information stored in the connected databases, including user credentials, proprietary project data, and system configurations.
– Modify or Delete Data: Alter or destroy the entire model database, leading to permanent data loss or corruption.
– Bypass All Access Controls: The attack directly circumvents the application’s authentication and authorization, rendering any security configuration that relies on the PCS ineffective.
– Lateral Movement: Use the compromised database as a foothold to move laterally within the internal network.
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Sources:
Reported By: nvd.nist.gov
Extra Source Hub:
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