CVE-2005-3301 in phpMyAdmin
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in phpMyAdmin before 2.6.4-pl3 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via certain arguments to (1) left.php, (2) queryframe.php, or (3) server_databases.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/13/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-3301 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness affecting phpMyAdmin versions prior to 2.6.4-pl3. This vulnerability resides within the web-based database management interface that is widely used by administrators to manage mysql databases through web browsers. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of a victim's browser session, potentially compromising user security and data integrity. The vulnerability specifically impacts three key phpMyAdmin scripts including left.php, queryframe.php, and server_databases.php, which are fundamental components in the navigation and database management functionality of the application.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the affected phpMyAdmin scripts. When user-supplied parameters are processed through these specific files without proper sanitization, malicious payloads can be injected and subsequently executed in the victim's browser. This occurs because the application fails to properly escape or filter special characters in user input before rendering it in web pages, creating an environment where attacker-controlled data can be interpreted as executable script code rather than plain text. The vulnerability maps to CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications, where insufficient validation of user-provided data leads to code execution in the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations relying on phpMyAdmin for database administration. Attackers can exploit these XSS flaws to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, redirect victims to malicious sites, or inject persistent malicious content that affects all users of the application. In a typical attack scenario, an attacker might craft a malicious URL containing script payloads and send it to a victim administrator, who would then inadvertently execute the malicious code when accessing the vulnerable phpMyAdmin interface. This could lead to complete compromise of database access privileges, data exfiltration, or further lateral movement within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes social engineering attacks involving malicious links or files that can be used to execute code in user browsers.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-3301 primarily involve upgrading to phpMyAdmin version 2.6.4-pl3 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the input validation issues. Organizations should also implement additional security measures including input sanitization at multiple layers, output encoding for all dynamic content, and regular security assessments of web applications. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth, though the primary remediation remains the application upgrade. Security teams should also conduct thorough code reviews to ensure proper input validation practices are implemented throughout the application codebase, particularly focusing on areas where user input is processed and rendered in web contexts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing robust security controls to prevent exploitation of known weaknesses in web-based administrative interfaces.