CVE-2006-3309 in Scout Portal Toolkit
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in SPT--ForumTopics.php in Scout Portal Toolkit (SPT) 1.4.0 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the forumid parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/06/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-3309 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the Scout Portal Toolkit version 1.4.0 and earlier releases. This security weakness resides in the ForumTopics.php component of the Scout Portal Toolkit, which is a web-based content management system designed for portal environments. The vulnerability specifically affects the handling of user input through the forumid parameter, creating an avenue for malicious actors to manipulate database queries and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the application fails to properly sanitize or validate user input before incorporating it into SQL database queries. When a remote attacker submits a crafted forumid parameter value, the application processes this input directly within the SQL execution context without adequate input filtering or parameterization. This allows attackers to inject malicious SQL code that can be executed by the database engine, potentially leading to data extraction, modification, or deletion. The vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws where untrusted data is incorporated into SQL commands without proper validation or escaping mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable attackers to escalate their privileges within the system. Successful exploitation could allow unauthorized users to extract confidential information from the database, including user credentials, personal data, or system configuration details. Additionally, attackers might be able to modify or delete database records, potentially compromising the integrity and availability of the portal's content. The remote nature of this attack vector means that exploitation can occur from any location without requiring physical access to the system, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that are publicly accessible.
Organizations utilizing Scout Portal Toolkit versions 1.4.0 or earlier should immediately implement mitigations to address this vulnerability. The primary remediation strategy involves implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries to ensure that user-supplied data cannot be interpreted as SQL commands. This includes sanitizing all input parameters, particularly those used in database operations, and employing prepared statements or stored procedures that separate SQL code from data. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and database permissions can limit the damage that could occur even if exploitation succeeds. Security practitioners should also consider deploying web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious database query patterns. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190, which covers exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications, and represents a classic example of how insufficient input validation can lead to severe security consequences in enterprise web platforms.