Security Resilience

CVE-2021-42258

SQLi in Bqe Billquick Web Suite 19 – 22.0.9.1

CISA KEVActive ExploitationEUVD ExploitedPublic PoCRansomware-linkedSQLi
Published
22 October 2021
Modified
10 November 2025
KEV Added
03 November 2021
CVSS Score v3.1 9.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.74 99.5th percentile
Risk Priority 97 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2021-42258 is a critical-severity SQL Injection (CWE-89) vulnerability in Bqe Billquick Web Suite. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Protocol or Service Impersonation (T1001.003); ranked in the top 0.5% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

BQE BillQuick Web Suite versions 2018 through 2021 before 22.0.9.1 contain a SQL injection vulnerability that permits unauthenticated remote code execution. The flaw is tracked as CWE-89 and carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8. Exploitation can occur through parameters such as txtID, allowing an attacker to invoke xp_cmdshell and run arbitrary commands under the MSSQLSERVER$ account.

Unauthenticated remote attackers can leverage the injection to achieve code execution on the affected server. In practice this has enabled deployment of ransomware and other post-exploitation activity without any user interaction or authentication.

Public advisories from Huntress and CISA note that the issue was exploited in the wild in October 2021 and recommend upgrading to version 22.0.9.1 or later. The vulnerability is also listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, confirming active exploitation against internet-facing instances.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A05:2025 Injection

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

BQE BillQuick Web Suite 2018 through 2021 before 22.0.9.1 allows SQL injection for unauthenticated remote code execution, as exploited in the wild in October 2021 for ransomware installation. SQL injection can, for example, use the txtID (aka username) parameter. Successful…

more

exploitation can include the ability to execute arbitrary code as MSSQLSERVER$ via xp_cmdshell.

CWE(s)
CWE-89
KEV Date Added
03 November 2021

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1001.003 Protocol or Service Impersonation Command And Control
Adversaries may impersonate legitimate protocols or web service traffic to disguise command and control activity and thwart analysis efforts.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003 OS Credential Dumping Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to dump credentials to obtain account login and credential material, normally in the form of a hash or a clear text password.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.001 LSASS Memory Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access credential material stored in the process memory of the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS).
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.002 Security Account Manager Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to extract credential material from the Security Account Manager (SAM) database either through in-memory techniques or through the Windows Registry where the SAM database is stored.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.003 NTDS Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access or create a copy of the Active Directory domain database in order to steal credential information, as well as obtain other information about domain members such as devices, users, and access rights.
attack.mitre.org →
T1005 Data from Local System Collection
Adversaries may search local system sources, such as file systems, configuration files, local databases, virtual machine files, or process memory, to find files of interest and sensitive data prior to Exfiltration.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2017-18362Shared CWE-89both on KEV
CVE-2021-44026Shared CWE-89both on KEV
CVE-2024-9465Shared CWE-89both on KEV
CVE-2023-34362Shared CWE-89both on KEV
CVE-2020-5722Shared CWE-89both on KEV
CVE-2024-43468Shared CWE-89both on KEV
CVE-2019-7481Shared CWE-89both on KEV
CVE-2024-9379Shared CWE-89both on KEV
CVE-2019-12989Shared CWE-89both on KEV
CVE-2021-20028Shared CWE-89both on KEV

Affected Assets

bqe
billquick web suite
19 — 22.0.9.1

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

—

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V6.2.5

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

CA-8 Penetration Testing
addresses: CWE-89

Penetration testing uses SQL injection payloads against database interfaces, identifying and supporting fixes for SQL injection weaknesses.

SI-10 Information Input Validation
addresses: CWE-89

Validates query inputs to prevent SQL syntax or command manipulation.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
blocks

Secure SDLC practices directly target injection flaws during coding and review so largely prevent CWE-89 introduction, yet the single broad outcome leaves residual risk from incomplete neutralization techniques or missed edge cases.

PR.AT-02 partial match
blocks

Training raises developer awareness of SQLi risks and can reduce introduction likelihood (partial) but removes none of the actual coding flaw's risk by itself since technical neutralization is still required.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.5.14 Information transfer partial match
removes
A.5.15 Access control partial match
removes
A.5.16 Identity management partial match
removes
A.5.17 Authentication information partial match
removes
A.5.18 Access rights partial match
removes
A.5.6 Contact with special interest groups partial match
blocks

A.5.6 only improves knowledge flow, awareness of threats/patches and access to specialist advice; it does not stop SQL injection from being exploitable in code that still contains the flaw.

References