CVE-2005-3621 in phpMyAdmin
Summary
by MITRE
CRLF injection vulnerability in phpMyAdmin before 2.6.4-pl4 allows remote attackers to conduct HTTP response splitting attacks via unspecified scripts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2019
The CVE-2005-3621 vulnerability represents a critical CRLF injection flaw discovered in phpMyAdmin versions prior to 2.6.4-pl4, fundamentally compromising web application security through HTTP response splitting attacks. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within phpMyAdmin's handling of user-supplied data that flows into HTTP response headers, creating an exploitable condition where malicious actors can inject carriage return line feed sequences into response headers. The flaw specifically affects unspecified scripts within the phpMyAdmin framework, making it particularly dangerous as it can potentially impact multiple components across the application's functionality. The vulnerability operates at the HTTP protocol level, where CRLF sequences are used to separate headers from the response body, and when improperly sanitized, these sequences allow attackers to inject malicious headers that can manipulate client-side behavior.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability leverages the fundamental structure of HTTP responses where headers are separated from the body by CRLF sequences. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious input that contains CRLF characters, which when processed by phpMyAdmin's vulnerable scripts, get inserted into HTTP response headers. This injection enables attackers to split the HTTP response into multiple parts, allowing them to inject additional headers or even redirect users to malicious sites. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the application layer, affecting the web server's ability to properly communicate with clients, and can be exploited to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, cache poisoning, and cross-site scripting attacks. The impact extends beyond simple data manipulation as it fundamentally undermines the integrity of HTTP communications between the web server and client browsers.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-3621 is significant and multifaceted, affecting both the confidentiality and integrity of web applications using vulnerable phpMyAdmin installations. When exploited, this vulnerability enables attackers to manipulate HTTP response headers, potentially redirecting users to phishing sites or injecting malicious content into web responses. The vulnerability also poses risks to session management, as attackers could manipulate session cookies or other authentication-related headers, leading to unauthorized access to database management interfaces. Organizations running vulnerable phpMyAdmin versions face potential data breaches, as the attack vector can be used to bypass security controls and gain unauthorized access to database resources. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the widespread use of phpMyAdmin in web applications, making it a prime target for automated exploitation tools and increasing the potential attack surface for organizations.
Security mitigations for CVE-2005-3621 primarily focus on immediate patching and input validation improvements. Organizations must upgrade to phpMyAdmin version 2.6.4-pl4 or later, which contains the necessary fixes to prevent CRLF injection in HTTP response headers. Additionally, implementing robust input sanitization measures that filter or escape CRLF characters in user-supplied data helps prevent exploitation even if other security measures fail. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional detection and prevention capabilities, monitoring for suspicious CRLF sequences in HTTP headers. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-113, which addresses improper neutralization of CRLF characters in HTTP headers, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1190, which covers exploitation of vulnerabilities in web applications through HTTP response manipulation. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to ensure that no other components within the web application stack remain vulnerable to similar injection attacks, as this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation in preventing HTTP protocol-level exploits that can compromise entire web applications.