CVE-2006-1849 in xFlow
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities in members_only/index.cgi in xFlow 5.46.11 and earlier allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the (1) position and (2) id parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/31/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-1849 represents a critical SQL injection flaw in the xFlow web application version 5.46.11 and earlier. This vulnerability exists within the members_only/index.cgi script which processes user input without proper sanitization or validation. The flaw manifests when attackers can manipulate the position and id parameters to inject malicious SQL commands into the application's database queries. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-89 category, which specifically addresses SQL injection vulnerabilities where untrusted data is directly incorporated into SQL command construction without adequate escaping or parameterization.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the web application fails to properly validate or escape user-supplied input from the position and id parameters. When these parameters are passed to database queries, the application does not use prepared statements or proper input sanitization techniques. Attackers can construct malicious SQL payloads that bypass authentication mechanisms, extract sensitive data, modify database records, or even execute destructive operations on the underlying database system. The vulnerability allows for remote code execution through database-level commands, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no local system access to exploit.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted across multiple security domains. Organizations using affected xFlow versions face potential data breaches, unauthorized access to member information, and complete database compromise. The vulnerability enables attackers to perform unauthorized database operations including but not limited to data extraction, modification, or deletion. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol manipulation and T1046 for network service discovery. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can target the vulnerability from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the system, making it an attractive target for automated attacks and botnets.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of the xFlow application to version 5.46.12 or later where the SQL injection flaws have been addressed. Organizations should implement proper input validation and sanitization measures, ensuring all user-supplied parameters are properly escaped or parameterized before being used in database queries. The implementation of prepared statements or parameterized queries should be mandatory for all database interactions. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional defense-in-depth. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious database query patterns and unauthorized access attempts. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, aligning with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework's protect and detect functions. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output encoding in preventing injection attacks, which is a fundamental principle in secure software development practices.