CVE-2004-2201 in Duforum
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in DUware DUforum 3.0 through 3.1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the FOR_ID parameter in messages.asp, (2) MSG_ID parameter in messageDetail.asp, or (3) password parameter in the login form.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/18/2024
This vulnerability represents a critical sql injection flaw in DUware DUforum version 3.0 through 3.1 that enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary sql commands through multiple input vectors. The vulnerability affects the forum software's handling of user inputs in three distinct locations, creating multiple attack surface areas for malicious exploitation. The primary attack vectors include the FOR_ID parameter in messages.asp, the MSG_ID parameter in messageDetail.asp, and the password parameter in the login form, each presenting unique opportunities for privilege escalation and data manipulation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the forum application's database interaction layers. When users submit data through these parameters, the application fails to properly escape or filter special sql characters and commands, allowing attackers to inject malicious sql payloads directly into the database query execution pipeline. This flaw directly maps to CWE-89 which categorizes sql injection vulnerabilities as a fundamental weakness in application security where untrusted data is incorporated into sql commands without proper validation or escaping. The vulnerability operates at the application layer where user inputs are directly concatenated into sql statements rather than utilizing parameterized queries or prepared statements.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, potentially allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data, modify or delete forum content, escalate privileges to administrator accounts, and even compromise the entire database server. An attacker could extract user credentials, personal information, forum posts, and configuration data from the backend database. The vulnerability also enables privilege escalation attacks where malicious users could potentially elevate their access rights to full administrative control over the forum system. This represents a significant risk to user privacy and data integrity within the forum environment.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1190 for exploitation of remote services and T1078 for valid accounts usage. The attack surface expansion through three different parameters increases the probability of successful exploitation, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where multiple input points exist. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation, parameterized queries, and proper sql escaping mechanisms. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices and regular security assessments to identify and remediate such critical flaws before they can be exploited in the wild. Additionally, network segmentation and intrusion detection systems should be deployed to monitor for suspicious sql injection patterns and potential exploitation attempts.