CVE-2004-0035 in Phorum
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in register.php for Phorum 3.4.5 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the hide_email parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/17/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-0035 represents a critical sql injection flaw in the Phorum discussion forum software version 3.4.5 and earlier. This vulnerability exists within the register.php script and specifically targets the hide_email parameter, which is used to control whether a user's email address should be displayed publicly. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization practices within the application's data handling mechanisms, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary sql commands through the vulnerable parameter.
This sql injection vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration category of CWE-89, which specifically addresses sql injection flaws where untrusted data is directly incorporated into sql queries without proper sanitization. The attack vector is particularly dangerous as it enables remote code execution capabilities, allowing attackers to manipulate the underlying database through the vulnerable web application interface. The hide_email parameter serves as the primary entry point for exploitation, where an attacker can craft malicious input that gets directly embedded into sql statements executed by the server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or manipulation. Attackers can leverage this flaw to gain unauthorized access to the entire database backend, potentially extracting sensitive user information including usernames, email addresses, and other personal details. The vulnerability also enables privilege escalation attacks where malicious users might elevate their access rights to administrative levels within the forum system. Additionally, the exploitation can lead to complete database compromise, allowing for data modification, deletion, or even system-wide destruction of the forum's functionality.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-0035 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected Phorum versions to address the root cause of the vulnerability. Organizations should implement proper input validation and sanitization measures, ensuring that all user-supplied data undergoes rigorous filtering before being processed in sql queries. The use of parameterized queries or prepared statements represents the most effective defense mechanism against sql injection attacks, as these approaches separate sql code from data, preventing malicious input from altering the intended query structure. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional layers of defense, while regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190, which describes the exploitation of vulnerabilities in web applications to gain unauthorized access to systems and data resources.