CVE-2006-4025 in XennoBB
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in profile.php in XennoBB 2.1.0 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the (1) bday_day, (2) bday_month, and (3) bday_year parameters in the personal section.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/01/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-4025 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the XennoBB 2.1.0 bulletin board software and earlier versions. This security weakness resides in the profile.php script which handles user profile management functionalities. The vulnerability specifically affects the personal information section where users can input their birthday details through three distinct parameters: bday_day, bday_month, and bday_year. These parameters are processed without adequate input validation or sanitization, creating an exploitable entry point for malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the improper handling of user-supplied data within SQL query construction. When authenticated users submit birthday information through the profile update interface, the application directly incorporates these values into database queries without proper parameterization or escaping mechanisms. This allows attackers to inject malicious SQL code that can be executed within the database context. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws where untrusted data is concatenated into SQL commands without proper sanitization. The attack vector requires only authenticated access to the system, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by insiders or compromised accounts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or modification. Attackers with valid user credentials can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database, potentially gaining full administrative control over the application's data. This could result in unauthorized data access, data manipulation, user account compromise, and in severe cases, complete system takeover. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the entire bulletin board system. From an adversarial perspective, this represents a significant opportunity for threat actors to establish persistent access within the system and conduct reconnaissance for further exploitation. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a database injection technique under the broader category of command injection attacks, which can lead to privilege escalation and lateral movement within compromised environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-4025 require immediate implementation of proper input validation and parameterized queries. System administrators should upgrade to XennoBB versions that have addressed this vulnerability, as the original software versions are no longer supported. Additionally, implementing proper input sanitization techniques, including the use of prepared statements and parameterized queries, will prevent malicious SQL code from being executed. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit the potential damage from authenticated attacks. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar issues within the application codebase. The remediation process must also include comprehensive testing of all user input handling mechanisms to ensure that similar vulnerabilities do not exist in other parts of the application. Organizations should also implement monitoring and logging of database activities to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts.