CVE-2004-2295 in PHP-Nuke
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in the Reviews module in PHP-Nuke 6.0 to 7.3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the order parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/11/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-2295 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the Reviews module of PHP-Nuke versions 6.0 through 7.3. This security weakness exists in the handling of user input within the order parameter, creating an avenue for malicious actors to manipulate database queries and execute unauthorized commands. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization practices within the application's codebase, specifically affecting the Reviews module which processes user-generated content and sorting parameters.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input for the order parameter that gets directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper sanitization. This allows threat actors to inject arbitrary SQL commands that bypass authentication mechanisms and gain unauthorized access to the underlying database. The flaw aligns with CWE-89 which categorizes SQL injection vulnerabilities as a fundamental weakness in input validation and query construction. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to extract sensitive data, modify database records, or even escalate privileges within the application's database environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it provides attackers with persistent access to the application's database infrastructure. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to perform data manipulation, information disclosure, and potentially establish backdoors within the system. The vulnerability affects a wide range of PHP-Nuke installations, making it particularly dangerous as it impacts numerous web applications that rely on this content management system. This type of vulnerability is classified under ATT&CK technique T1190 which describes the exploitation of vulnerabilities to gain initial access and establish persistence within target environments.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including input validation, parameterized queries, and comprehensive code reviews to address the root cause of the SQL injection flaw. The recommended approach involves sanitizing all user inputs before processing, implementing proper escape sequences for database queries, and upgrading to patched versions of PHP-Nuke where available. Additionally, network segmentation and database access controls should be enforced to limit the potential damage from successful exploitation attempts. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual database access patterns that might indicate exploitation of this vulnerability, as the attack vectors can be difficult to distinguish from legitimate user activity without proper detection mechanisms in place.