Threats / BQE / CVE-2021-42258
CVE-2021-42258
· EUVD no mirror located
· GCVE no mirror located
Verified 2026-08-04
BQE BillQuick Web Suite vulnerability
BQE BillQuick Web Suite contains an unauthenticated SQL injection vulnerability in the username parameter that enables remote code execution.
Verdict
Today item, not a backlog item.
SQL injection in an unauthenticated endpoint of widely-deployed billing software creates a direct path to system compromise. High EPSS score and active exploitation in ransomware campaigns reflect severe real-world risk.
CISA KEV Yes · 2021-11-034Ransomware use Flagged4EPSS 0.73451 (verify live)5CVSS 9.8 (CISA)3CISA SSVC Exploitation: active · Automatable: yes · Impact: total3Exploit Public PoC / detection · Metasploit module · nuclei template11
01
Is it exploitable?
— the evidence, ranked above the scoreReported exploitation
4 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2021-11-03), flagged for known ransomware use.
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.73451 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
CVSS 9.8 (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) · Affected: BQE, BillQuick Web Suite. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.CVSS — CISA-assigned via the ADP container (CVE.org), version 3.1; the CNA left no metrics, so CISA's own score is used ahead of NVD.
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-89 SQL Injection — weakness family: Injection.CWE assignment from the public NVD record (may be stale); the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
CISA SSVC (triage disposition)
Exploitation: active · Automatable: yes · Technical Impact: totalCISA's own stakeholder-specific triage inputs, published in the CVE record (CISA Coordinator role). NOTE: this is CISA's three decision points; the final Act/Attend/Track decision also requires a Mission & Well-being input not published here, so no overall decision is asserted.
Currency of the record
CISA added this to its KEV catalog 12 days after the CVE record was published.KEV lag = CISA-KEV dateAdded − CVE.org datePublished; a floor on how long the known-exploited flaw sat in the public record before the federal catalog listed it. Severity/weakness here is CNA- or CISA-assigned (current at disclosure), independent of NVD's analysis backlog.
Public exploit available
Public exploit tooling is catalogued for this CVE (a public proof-of-concept / detection template). Catalog entries: Metasploit module, nuclei template. We link the catalog page(s) only — no payload or code is hosted or restated here.Link, never host — the catalog page is the source; basicsecurity.net does not redistribute payloads.
02
Who’s exploiting it?
— attribution turns risk into urgencyAttribution not established
No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.
03
Why it matters
— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board1
Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1
Attacker
I craft a malicious SQL payload in the username parameter and send it to the unauthenticated login endpoint.
Business
Attacker gains unauthorized database access without credentials, bypassing authentication controls.
2
Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2
Attacker
I execute database queries to extract sensitive data or escalate privileges within the application context.
Business
Customer financial records, invoices, and payment information are exposed or manipulated.
3
Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3
Attacker
I leverage database functionality to achieve remote code execution on the underlying server.
Business
Attacker gains full system control and can deploy ransomware, exfiltrate data, or establish persistence.
4
Data at risk — exfiltration narrative 4
Attacker
I encrypt critical business data and demand ransom while threatening public disclosure.
Business
Operations halt, revenue stops, and the organization faces extortion, regulatory fines, and reputational damage.
04
What to do
— defensible action- Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05