CVE-2006-3048 in TikiWiki
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in TikiWiki 1.9.3.2 and possibly earlier versions allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via unknown attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-3048 represents a critical sql injection flaw discovered in TikiWiki version 1.9.3.2 and potentially earlier releases. This vulnerability resides within the web application's database interaction mechanisms, where user-supplied input is inadequately sanitized before being incorporated into sql queries. The flaw allows malicious actors to manipulate the application's database operations through carefully crafted input that bypasses normal security controls and authentication checks. This type of vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-89 which specifically addresses sql injection vulnerabilities where untrusted data is directly incorporated into sql commands without proper validation or escaping mechanisms. The vulnerability's classification aligns with attack techniques described in the attack pattern taxonomy under the MITRE ATT&CK framework where adversaries leverage sql injection to gain unauthorized access to database resources and potentially escalate privileges within the application environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates how TikiWiki's input processing fails to properly validate or escape user-provided data before incorporating it into database queries. Attackers can exploit this weakness by submitting malicious input through various application interfaces that ultimately reach the database layer, enabling them to execute arbitrary sql commands with the privileges of the database user account under which the application operates. The attack vectors remain unspecified in the original description, suggesting that the vulnerability may be present across multiple input points within the application's interface, including but not limited to login forms, search functions, or parameter handling in url requests. This broad attack surface increases the likelihood of successful exploitation and makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous for applications that rely heavily on database interactions for their core functionality.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation could result in complete database compromise, data manipulation, unauthorized access to sensitive information, and potential system escalation. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to extract confidential data, modify or delete records, create new user accounts with administrative privileges, or even execute operating system commands if the database server has sufficient permissions. The vulnerability affects not only the immediate application but potentially the entire underlying infrastructure that relies on the compromised database for its operations. Organizations running affected TikiWiki versions face significant risk of data breaches, regulatory compliance violations, and potential legal consequences due to the exposure of sensitive user information and business data. The vulnerability also impacts the application's integrity and availability, as attackers could potentially corrupt database structures or execute denial of service attacks against the database layer.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-3048 require immediate action including applying the latest security patches and updates provided by TikiWiki developers, implementing proper input validation and output escaping mechanisms, and employing parameterized queries or prepared statements throughout the application codebase. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments to identify all potential input points that could be vulnerable to sql injection attacks and implement web application firewalls to monitor and filter malicious traffic patterns. The implementation of proper database access controls, including the principle of least privilege, ensures that application database accounts have minimal necessary permissions to reduce the potential impact of successful exploitation. Additionally, regular security monitoring, log analysis, and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing database activity monitoring solutions that can detect unusual sql patterns indicative of injection attacks and establish incident response procedures to quickly address any confirmed exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of secure coding practices and the necessity of regular security assessments to identify and remediate such fundamental flaws in web application architectures.