CVE-2006-4367 in All Topics Hack
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in alltopics.php in the All Topics Hack 1.5.0 and earlier for phpBB 2.0.21 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the start parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-4367 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the All Topics Hack 1.5.0 and earlier versions of the phpBB 2.0.21 forum software. This security weakness specifically targets the alltopics.php script which is part of a third-party modification designed to enhance forum functionality. The vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly handle user-supplied data before incorporating it into database queries. The attack vector exploits the start parameter, which is commonly used for pagination purposes in forum discussions, making it a frequently accessed input point that attackers can manipulate to inject malicious SQL code. This flaw falls under the well-documented CWE-89 category, which specifically addresses SQL injection vulnerabilities where untrusted data is directly concatenated into SQL commands without proper escaping or parameterization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data corruption or unauthorized access. An attacker who successfully exploits this SQL injection flaw can execute arbitrary database commands with the privileges of the web application's database user account. This typically translates to full read access to sensitive forum data including user credentials, private messages, and forum configuration details. The vulnerability enables attackers to potentially escalate their privileges within the database, extract all user accounts with their hashed passwords, modify forum content, create new administrator accounts, or even delete entire database tables. Given that phpBB forums often contain sensitive user information and serve as platforms for discussion of confidential topics, the potential for data breaches and unauthorized access to private communications is significant. The attack can be executed remotely without requiring any special privileges or local access to the server, making it particularly dangerous for publicly accessible forum installations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action to address the root cause through proper input validation and parameterized query implementation. System administrators should prioritize upgrading to the latest version of the All Topics Hack plugin, which contains patches specifically designed to prevent SQL injection attacks by properly sanitizing all user inputs. The recommended approach involves implementing proper parameterized queries or prepared statements that separate SQL code from user data, thereby preventing malicious input from being interpreted as executable SQL commands. Additionally, input validation should be enforced at multiple levels including client-side and server-side filters that reject or escape special characters commonly used in SQL injection attacks such as single quotes, semicolons, and comment delimiters. Network-level protections including web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional layers of defense by monitoring for suspicious SQL injection patterns in incoming requests. According to ATT&CK framework category T1190, this vulnerability aligns with the technique of exploitation for privilege escalation and data access, making it a critical target for immediate remediation to prevent unauthorized database access and potential data breaches. Organizations should also implement regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning to identify similar injection flaws in other components of their web applications, as this type of vulnerability frequently occurs in legacy systems that have not been properly updated or patched.