CVE-2004-0338 in Invision Board
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in search.php for Invision Board Forum allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL queries via the st parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-0338 represents a critical SQL injection flaw discovered in the search.php script of the Invision Board Forum software. This vulnerability resides within the forum's search functionality and specifically targets the st parameter which processes user input for search queries. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate the underlying database queries by injecting malicious SQL code through the search interface, potentially compromising the entire database infrastructure. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper parameter handling within the application's database interaction layer, creating an avenue for attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms and gain unauthorized access to sensitive data.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when user-supplied input from the st parameter is directly incorporated into SQL query construction without proper sanitization or parameterization. This primitive form of input handling allows attackers to inject malicious SQL syntax that alters the intended query execution flow. The flaw aligns with CWE-89 which categorizes SQL injection vulnerabilities as weaknesses that occur when untrusted data is embedded into SQL commands, and corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol manipulation. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform various malicious activities including data extraction, modification, or deletion of database records, potentially leading to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to user credentials, personal information, and forum content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable attackers to escalate privileges within the forum environment and potentially use the compromised system as a foothold for further attacks. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of all data stored within the Invision Board Forum database, including user accounts, private messages, forum posts, and administrative configurations. Organizations running vulnerable versions of the forum software face significant risk of data breaches, service disruption, and potential legal consequences due to compromised user information. The vulnerability also impacts the availability of the forum service as attackers may attempt to corrupt database structures or perform denial-of-service attacks through malformed SQL injection payloads. The widespread use of Invision Board Forum at the time of discovery meant that numerous websites and online communities were potentially exposed to this attack vector, making it a particularly dangerous vulnerability with broad impact potential.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-0338 should prioritize immediate patching of the vulnerable software version to address the input validation deficiencies in the search.php script. Organizations must implement proper parameterized queries or prepared statements to prevent SQL injection attacks, ensuring that user input is properly escaped or validated before database interaction. Additionally, input filtering mechanisms should be strengthened to reject suspicious characters and patterns commonly associated with SQL injection attempts. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts. Regular security auditing and code review processes should be implemented to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, while access controls and database permissions should be carefully configured to minimize the potential damage from successful attacks. The vulnerability underscores the importance of secure coding practices and proper input validation as fundamental security measures that should be integrated throughout the software development lifecycle.