CVE-2005-3952 in Top Auction
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in PHP Labs Top Auction allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the (1) category and (2) type parameters to viewcat.php, or (3) certain search parameters. NOTE: later a disclosure reported the affected version as 1.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/28/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-3952 represents a critical sql injection flaw within PHP Labs Top Auction version 1.0, exposing remote attackers to potential system compromise through manipulated input parameters. This vulnerability resides in the viewcat.php script which processes user-supplied data without adequate sanitization or validation, creating an exploitable entry point for malicious actors seeking to manipulate the underlying database operations. The attack vector specifically targets three parameter types including category and type parameters, as well as certain search parameters that are processed by the application's database interaction layer.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows standard sql injection patterns where attacker-controlled input is directly incorporated into sql query construction without proper escaping or parameterization. When users submit values for the category or type parameters through the viewcat.php endpoint, these inputs are concatenated directly into sql statements without sanitization, allowing attackers to inject malicious sql code that executes with the privileges of the database user. This flaw enables unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion operations that can compromise the entire database infrastructure. The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-89 which classifies sql injection as a weakness where untrusted data is used in sql command construction without proper validation or escaping mechanisms.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to auction platforms and their users since successful exploitation could result in complete database compromise including customer information theft, auction data manipulation, and potential system-wide service disruption. Attackers could extract sensitive user data such as personal information, bidding records, and potentially administrative credentials that could lead to further system compromise. The remote nature of this attack means that exploitation does not require physical access to the system, making it particularly dangerous as attackers can target vulnerable installations from anywhere on the internet. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190 which describes the use of sql injection to gain unauthorized access to databases and extract sensitive information.
The remediation approach for this vulnerability requires immediate implementation of proper input validation and parameterized queries to prevent malicious sql code execution. Organizations should implement input sanitization routines that filter or escape special sql characters from user-supplied parameters before database processing. The most effective mitigation involves adopting prepared statements or parameterized queries that separate sql command structure from data values, ensuring that user input is treated as data rather than executable code. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and database user privilege management can limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. System administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts targeting known sql injection patterns. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar flaws in web applications.