CVE-2005-2880 in phpCommunityCalendar
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities in phpCommunityCalendar 4.0.3, and possibly earlier versions, allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the (1) login field in login.php or (2) LocationID parameter to week.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/09/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-2880 represents a critical security flaw in phpCommunityCalendar version 4.0.3 and potentially earlier releases, demonstrating a classic SQL injection attack vector that could enable remote code execution. This vulnerability resides within the application's handling of user input parameters, specifically targeting the authentication and location identification components of the calendar system. The flaw allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary SQL commands into the database layer through carefully crafted input strings, effectively bypassing normal authentication mechanisms and potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data or system resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through two distinct attack paths within the application's codebase. The first vector targets the login field in the login.php file, where user credentials are processed without proper input sanitization or parameterized query construction. The second attack surface involves the LocationID parameter in week.php, which processes location identifiers without adequate validation or escaping of special SQL characters. Both pathways exploit the fundamental weakness of directly concatenating user input into SQL query strings rather than utilizing prepared statements or proper input filtering mechanisms. This design flaw aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection vulnerabilities where untrusted data is incorporated into database queries without proper sanitization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with the capability to manipulate the entire database backend of the calendar application. Successful exploitation could result in data theft, modification of calendar entries, user account compromise, and potentially full system control depending on the database permissions assigned to the application's database user. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries do not require physical access to the system or network privileges to exploit these vulnerabilities, making them particularly dangerous in web-facing environments. Attackers could leverage these weaknesses to extract sensitive information such as user credentials, calendar events, and potentially system configuration details that could aid in further attacks.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigation strategies including input validation, parameterized queries, and proper output escaping to address these SQL injection vulnerabilities. The recommended approach involves updating to a patched version of phpCommunityCalendar or implementing proper input sanitization measures that prevent special SQL characters from being interpreted as command syntax. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and database activity monitoring to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following secure coding practices and adheres to ATT&CK technique T1190, which describes the exploitation of vulnerabilities in web applications through SQL injection attacks. The remediation process should include comprehensive code review to identify additional potential injection points and implementation of robust input validation frameworks to prevent similar issues in other components of the application stack.