CVE-2005-1642 in Burning Board
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in the verify_email function in Woltlab Burning Board 2.x and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the $email variable.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-1642 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the Woltlab Burning Board 2.x forum software and earlier versions. This vulnerability specifically targets the verify_email function which processes email verification requests within the application. The flaw arises from insufficient input validation and sanitization of the $email variable parameter, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary SQL commands directly into the database query execution flow. The vulnerability exists in the core authentication and user management components of the forum software, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by unauthorized users to gain elevated privileges or access sensitive user data.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker submits a specially crafted email address containing SQL payload characters into the verify_email function. The application fails to properly escape or validate the input before incorporating it into SQL queries, creating a direct path for SQL injection attacks. This flaw falls under the CWE-89 category of SQL Injection, specifically representing a classic unvalidated input vulnerability that enables attackers to manipulate database queries. The attack vector is remote and requires no authentication, making it particularly dangerous for public-facing forum applications where users can submit email addresses for verification purposes. The vulnerability is classified as a high-severity issue under the Common Vulnerability Scoring System due to its potential for data breach, privilege escalation, and system compromise.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-1642 extends beyond simple data theft to encompass complete system compromise and user data exposure. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to extract sensitive information including user credentials, personal data, and forum configurations from the underlying database. The exploitation can result in unauthorized access to user accounts, enabling attackers to post malicious content, modify forum settings, or even escalate privileges to administrative levels. Database integrity and availability are also at risk as attackers may execute destructive SQL commands such as DROP TABLE or DELETE operations. The vulnerability affects all versions of Woltlab Burning Board 2.x and earlier, meaning organizations running these legacy systems face significant exposure risk. The attack can be automated and executed at scale, potentially compromising thousands of user accounts and forum installations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-1642 require immediate attention through multiple defensive layers. The primary remediation involves implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries within the verify_email function to prevent SQL injection attacks. Organizations should upgrade to patched versions of Woltlab Burning Board 2.3.3 or later, which contain the necessary security fixes. Input sanitization techniques including proper escaping of special SQL characters and validation of email format should be implemented at the application level. Additionally, database access controls should be enforced with minimal privilege accounts for database connections, and proper logging should be enabled to detect suspicious database access patterns. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.005 for Application Layer Protocol and T1190 for Exploit Public-Facing Application, highlighting the need for network segmentation and regular security assessments. Regular security patches, vulnerability scanning, and application security testing should be implemented as ongoing practices to prevent similar issues in other forum software and web applications.