CVE-2006-4164 in phpPrintAnalyzer
Summary
by MITRE
PHP remote file inclusion vulnerability in inc/header.inc.php in phpPrintAnalyzer 1.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code via a URL in the ficStyle parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/13/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-4164 represents a critical remote file inclusion flaw within the phpPrintAnalyzer 1.2 software suite, specifically affecting versions up to and including 1.2. This vulnerability resides in the inc/header.inc.php file and exploits a fundamental security weakness in how the application handles user-supplied input. The flaw manifests when the application fails to properly validate or sanitize the ficStyle parameter, which is processed through a remote file inclusion mechanism that directly incorporates external URLs into the application's execution flow. This creates an opportunity for remote attackers to inject malicious PHP code through crafted URLs passed as parameter values, effectively bypassing normal access controls and execution boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with common remote file inclusion patterns documented in CWE-88, which describes improper validation of input that leads to the inclusion of external resources. The vulnerability operates under the principle that the application uses user-controllable input to determine which files to include during script execution, without sufficient sanitization or validation of the provided URLs. This weakness enables attackers to manipulate the application's behavior by injecting URLs that point to malicious code hosted on remote servers, allowing for arbitrary code execution within the context of the web application. The flaw essentially transforms a legitimate file inclusion mechanism into a vector for code injection attacks, where the attacker's malicious payload becomes part of the application's runtime execution environment.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe threat to systems running affected versions of phpPrintAnalyzer, as it allows attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the web server process. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it enables full system compromise through a single vulnerable parameter, potentially allowing attackers to establish persistent access, escalate privileges, or deploy additional malware. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1190, which describes the use of remote file inclusion to execute malicious code, making it a well-documented attack pattern that security professionals should recognize and defend against. Organizations using this software face significant risk of data breaches, system compromise, and potential lateral movement within their network infrastructure, as attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information and system resources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-4164 should focus on immediate patching of the affected software to version 1.3 or later, where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper input validation and sanitization of the ficStyle parameter. Security administrators should implement network-level controls including firewall rules that restrict access to external resources and prevent the application from making outbound connections to untrusted domains. Additionally, the application should be configured to disable remote file inclusion features entirely, using PHP configuration settings such as allow_url_include set to off, and implementing proper input validation routines that reject any URLs containing potentially malicious patterns. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious parameter values, and conduct regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications and systems within their infrastructure. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that the patch does not introduce regressions in application functionality while maintaining the security posture against similar remote inclusion attacks.