CVE-2006-0696 in Zen Cart
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in Zen Cart before 1.2.7 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/03/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-0696 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the Zen Cart e-commerce platform prior to version 1.2.7. This vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-89 which specifically addresses improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command, commonly known as SQL injection. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the database backend, potentially leading to complete system compromise and unauthorized data access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the Zen Cart application's database interaction mechanisms. Attackers can exploit this weakness through unspecified vectors that likely involve user-controllable parameters passed to database queries. These vectors could include form inputs, URL parameters, or API endpoints that do not properly escape or filter user-supplied data before incorporating it into SQL statements. The vulnerability exists because the application fails to employ proper parameterized queries or adequate input sanitization techniques that would prevent malicious SQL code from being executed within the database context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it provides attackers with the capability to bypass authentication mechanisms, extract sensitive information, modify or delete database records, and potentially gain complete control over the affected system. Remote attackers could leverage this vulnerability to access customer data, financial information, and administrative credentials stored within the database. The implications extend beyond simple data theft to include potential service disruption, data integrity compromise, and regulatory compliance violations that could result in significant financial and reputational damage to organizations using vulnerable versions of Zen Cart.
Organizations using affected versions of Zen Cart should immediately implement mitigation strategies including applying the official security patch released by Zen Cart developers, implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious SQL injection attempts, and conducting thorough security assessments of their database configurations. Additionally, security teams should implement proper input validation at multiple layers, employ parameterized queries in all database interactions, and establish monitoring systems to detect anomalous database access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190 which describes exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications, and represents a classic example of how inadequate input validation can lead to catastrophic security consequences in web-based systems.