smithyhq/sqladmin · Security
SQLAdmin: Unvalidated sortBy parameter in `ModelView` bypasses `column_sortable_list`
- GHSA ID
- GHSA-ccg5-9c8w-xh6v
- CVE ID
- CVE-2026-54529
- Severity
- medium
- Published
- Updated
- CVSS
- 5.3 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
- CVSS v3
- 5.3 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Description
Summary
ModelView.sort_query() uses the attacker-controlled sortBy list-view query parameter without checking it against the configured column_sortable_list allow-list. The value is resolved with getattr(model, ...) and fed into relationship joins and order_by(), so a request can sort by any column of the model — including ones hidden from column_list — and, via a dotted path, by columns of related models. Because row order then reflects the value of an unexposed column, this is an information-exposure ordering oracle.
Root cause
column_sortable_list is consulted only in the list template to decide which header links to render; the server never enforces it, so removing a column from the UI does not prevent sorting by it.
Exploitation
A single request leaks the relative ordering of an unexposed column; the asc↔desc reversal confirms rows are ordered by the secret's actual value. Pairing sortBy with searchable/filterable columns and pagination can narrow the oracle toward specific values, though value recovery is conditional on having a filterable target column.
CWEs
- CWE-20 · Improper Input Validation
- CWE-200 · Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
- CWE-248 · Uncaught Exception
- CWE-639 · Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key