CVE-2003-0874 in DeskPRO
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities in DeskPRO 1.1.0 and earlier allow remote attackers to insert arbitrary SQL and conduct unauthorized activities via (1) the cat parameter in faq.php, (2) the article parameter in faq.php, (3) the tickedid parameter in view.php, and (4) the Password entry on the logon screen.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2018
The CVE-2003-0874 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in DeskPRO versions 1.1.0 and earlier, exposing multiple pathways for remote SQL injection attacks that could lead to complete system compromise. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-89 category of SQL Injection, specifically targeting applications that fail to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into database queries. The affected parameters span across multiple application interfaces, indicating a systemic lack of input validation and output encoding throughout the software architecture.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through four distinct attack vectors that demonstrate poor security design patterns in the application's data handling mechanisms. The cat parameter in faq.php and article parameter in faq.php represent classic SQL injection points where user-supplied category and article identifiers are directly concatenated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization. The tickedid parameter in view.php exposes a similar weakness in ticket identification handling, while the Password field on the logon screen creates an additional attack surface that could potentially allow attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms entirely.
From an operational impact perspective, these vulnerabilities create a comprehensive attack surface that enables malicious actors to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database system. Attackers could leverage these injection points to extract sensitive information including user credentials, customer data, and system configuration details. The ability to manipulate database content through SQL injection also allows for privilege escalation attacks, where attackers could potentially gain administrative access to the application and its underlying infrastructure. This vulnerability directly maps to multiple ATT&CK techniques including T1190 for exploitation of remote services and T1078 for valid accounts usage, as successful exploitation would likely result in unauthorized access to legitimate user accounts.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2003-0874 must address the fundamental architectural issues that enabled these vulnerabilities. Organizations should immediately upgrade to DeskPRO versions that have implemented proper input validation and parameterized query execution to prevent SQL injection attacks. The implementation of prepared statements and stored procedures should replace direct SQL query construction using user input. Additionally, comprehensive input sanitization measures including character set validation, length restrictions, and proper encoding of special characters should be enforced at all entry points. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and database access controls should complement application-level fixes to provide defense-in-depth. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of implementing proper authentication mechanisms and account lockout policies to prevent brute force attacks against the login interface, while regular security audits and penetration testing should identify similar issues in other application components.