CVE-2005-2156 in PHPNews
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in news.php in PHPNews 1.2.5 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the prevnext parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/06/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-2156 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the PHPNews 1.2.5 content management system, specifically affecting the news.php script. This weakness resides in how the application processes user input through the prevnext parameter, creating an avenue for malicious actors to manipulate database queries. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization practices, allowing attackers to inject malicious SQL code that bypasses normal authentication and authorization mechanisms. Such flaws are particularly dangerous in web applications where database interactions are frequent and sensitive data is routinely accessed and modified.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability follows the classic SQL injection pattern where user-controllable parameters are directly concatenated into SQL query strings without proper sanitization. When the prevnext parameter is submitted to news.php, the application fails to properly escape or validate the input before incorporating it into database queries. This allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that can alter the intended query structure, potentially enabling them to extract, modify, or delete database records. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-89 which specifically addresses improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands, making it a well-documented and widely recognized threat vector in database security.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations utilizing PHPNews 1.2.5, as it allows remote code execution capabilities without requiring authentication. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to the underlying database, potentially compromising all news articles, user accounts, and system configuration data. The impact extends beyond simple data theft, as attackers may be able to modify content, inject malicious scripts, or even escalate privileges within the database environment. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190 which describes exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications, and T1071.004 which covers application layer protocol manipulation. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation can occur from anywhere on the internet, making it particularly dangerous for publicly accessible web applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-2156 should prioritize immediate patching of the PHPNews application to version 1.2.6 or later, which contains the necessary input validation fixes. Organizations should implement proper input sanitization techniques including parameterized queries, prepared statements, and input validation routines that reject or escape special SQL characters. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional layers of defense, though they should not be considered substitutes for proper code-level fixes. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify similar weaknesses in other application components and ensure that all database interactions follow secure coding practices. The remediation process should include thorough testing to verify that the fix does not introduce new functionality issues while maintaining the application's core capabilities.