CVE-2005-2461 in liveResponse
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities in the calendar feature in Kayako liveResponse 2.x allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the (1) year or (2) date parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/01/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-2461 represents a critical security flaw in Kayako liveResponse version 2.x that exposes the calendar feature to multiple SQL injection attacks. This vulnerability specifically targets the year and date parameters within the calendar functionality, creating an avenue for remote attackers to manipulate database queries and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the application's data handling processes, allowing malicious actors to inject malicious SQL code through carefully crafted parameter values.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when user-supplied input from the year and date parameters is directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper escaping or parameterization. This allows attackers to manipulate the intended database operations by injecting additional SQL commands that execute with the privileges of the application's database user. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-89 category of SQL Injection, which is classified as a critical weakness in software applications that process untrusted data. Attackers can leverage this flaw to extract confidential data, modify database records, or even execute administrative commands on the underlying database system, depending on the permissions granted to the application's database account.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable full database compromise and potential system-wide exploitation. Remote attackers can use the SQL injection to bypass authentication mechanisms, escalate privileges, and gain access to sensitive customer information, system configurations, and potentially other connected systems. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it affects a core calendar feature that is likely accessed by multiple users, making the vulnerability potentially exploitable by a wide range of threat actors. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for Application Layer Protocol: DNS and T1213.002 for Data from Information Repositories, as it enables attackers to extract data from information repositories through compromised application interfaces.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-2461 require immediate implementation of proper input validation and parameterized queries throughout the Kayako liveResponse application. Organizations should implement strict input sanitization measures that validate and filter all user-supplied data before processing, particularly for date and numeric parameters. The recommended approach involves adopting prepared statements or parameterized queries that separate SQL code from data, preventing malicious input from being interpreted as executable commands. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and privilege management ensures that database accounts used by the application have the minimum required permissions, reducing potential damage from successful exploitation. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other application components, while network segmentation and monitoring solutions can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and input validation as fundamental defense mechanisms against SQL injection attacks, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security awareness training for development teams to prevent such flaws in future software releases.