CVE-2006-4673 in PHP-Fusion
Summary
by MITRE
Global variable overwrite vulnerability in maincore.php in PHP-Fusion 6.01.4 and earlier uses the extract function on the superglobals, which allows remote attackers to conduct SQL injection attacks via the _SERVER[REMOTE_ADDR] parameter to news.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/25/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-4673 represents a critical security flaw in PHP-Fusion version 6.01.4 and earlier, specifically within the maincore.php file where the extract function is improperly utilized on superglobals. This flaw creates a dangerous condition that allows remote attackers to manipulate global variables through the _SERVER[REMOTE_ADDR] parameter, effectively enabling arbitrary code execution and SQL injection attacks. The vulnerability stems from the insecure handling of user-supplied input within the application's core processing logic, where the extract function processes superglobal variables without proper sanitization or validation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the dangerous use of PHP's extract function which can overwrite existing variables in the global scope. When PHP-Fusion processes requests through news.php, it passes the _SERVER[REMOTE_ADDR] parameter through the maincore.php file where extract is called on superglobals. This creates a scenario where an attacker can inject malicious values into the REMOTE_ADDR variable, which then gets processed by extract and overwrites critical global variables. The CWE-115 classification applies here as this represents a weakness in which the application uses extract on data that can be controlled by an attacker, leading to variable overwrites and potential code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it provides attackers with direct pathways to compromise the entire PHP-Fusion installation. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database, potentially gaining access to sensitive user data, modifying content, or even escalating privileges within the application. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires no authentication and can be executed through standard web requests, making it highly exploitable in automated attacks. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols and T1190 for Exploit Public-Facing Application, as it exploits a publicly known vulnerability in a widely used content management system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate code-level issues and implement broader security controls. The most effective immediate fix involves removing or properly sanitizing the extract function calls on superglobals within the maincore.php file, ensuring that all user input is validated and filtered before processing. Organizations should also implement proper input validation mechanisms that prevent malicious values from being passed through the REMOTE_ADDR parameter. Additionally, the use of PHP's register_globals directive should be disabled, and proper parameter binding should be implemented for all database queries to prevent SQL injection. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual patterns in server variables and implementation of web application firewalls to block suspicious requests targeting this vulnerability. The remediation process should also include comprehensive code review to identify and eliminate similar insecure coding practices throughout the application, as this vulnerability represents a broader class of issues related to improper variable handling and input sanitization that could affect other components of the system.