CVE-2006-1545 in VNews
Summary
by MITRE
Direct static code injection vulnerability in admin/config.php in vscripts (aka Kuba Kunkiewicz) VNews 1.2 allows remote authenticated administrators to execute code by inserting the code into variables that are stored in admin/config.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/06/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-1545 represents a critical direct static code injection flaw within the vscripts VNews 1.2 content management system. This vulnerability specifically targets the administrative configuration file admin/config.php which serves as the central repository for system settings and variables. The flaw arises from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before it gets stored in the configuration file. As a result, authenticated administrators with access to the administrative interface can manipulate variables within this file to inject malicious code that will subsequently be executed by the web application.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of administrative input fields that are designed to store configuration parameters. When an authenticated administrator modifies certain variables through the admin interface, the system fails to properly sanitize the input data before writing it to the admin/config.php file. This creates a persistent code injection vector where malicious payloads can be embedded directly into the configuration file, effectively allowing attackers who have administrative privileges to execute arbitrary code on the target system. The vulnerability falls under CWE-94, which specifically addresses "Improper Control of Generation of Code" and represents a classic case of code injection where the injected code becomes part of the application's runtime environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, particularly when considering the privileged nature of the affected administrative interface. An attacker who successfully compromises an administrative account can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the web server process. This provides potential access to sensitive system resources, database credentials, and the ability to establish persistent backdoors within the compromised environment. The vulnerability also creates a risk of privilege escalation attacks where attackers can manipulate configuration settings to gain deeper system access. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability aligns with T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1078.004 for Valid Accounts, as it exploits legitimate administrative access to execute malicious code.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action to address both the immediate security flaw and implement broader defensive measures. Organizations should prioritize applying the vendor-supplied patch or upgrade to a version that resolves the input validation issues in the configuration handling code. Additionally, implementing strict input validation and sanitization mechanisms for all administrative input fields is essential to prevent code injection attempts. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by limiting administrative access to only necessary personnel and implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts. Regular security audits of configuration files and monitoring for unauthorized changes should be established to detect potential exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection by monitoring and filtering suspicious code injection patterns in the administrative interfaces. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices and proper input validation in all application components, particularly those handling user-supplied data that gets persisted to system files or configuration repositories.