CVE-2006-7115 in PHPKit
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in PHPKit 1.6.1 RC2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary SQL commands via the catid parameter to include.php when the path parameter is set to faq/faq.php, and other unspecified vectors involving guestbook/print.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-7115 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within PHPKit version 1.6.1 RC2, a content management system that was widely used in web applications during the mid-2000s. This security weakness stems from inadequate input validation and improper parameter handling within the application's database interaction mechanisms, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute unauthorized database operations. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the application processes user-supplied data through the catid parameter in the include.php script, particularly when the path parameter is configured to faq/faq.php, though additional attack vectors exist through guestbook/print.php and other unspecified components.
The technical implementation of this SQL injection vulnerability occurs due to the application's failure to sanitize or escape user input before incorporating it into SQL query constructions. When an attacker supplies malicious input through the catid parameter, the application directly concatenates this unvalidated data into database queries without proper sanitization measures. This design flaw aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection vulnerabilities where insufficient escaping or filtering of user-controllable data leads to unauthorized database access. The vulnerability operates at the application layer where user input transitions into database execution contexts, making it particularly dangerous as it can potentially allow attackers to extract sensitive data, modify database contents, or even escalate privileges within the affected system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it provides attackers with comprehensive database access capabilities that can compromise entire web applications and underlying infrastructure. Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability without requiring local system access or authentication credentials, making it particularly attractive for automated attacks. The attack surface includes not only the primary faq/faq.php vector but also the guestbook/print.php component, suggesting a broader architectural weakness in how the application handles user input across multiple modules. This widespread nature of the vulnerability indicates that the developers failed to implement consistent input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application, creating multiple entry points for malicious exploitation that aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol manipulation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input validation and parameterized query usage throughout the PHPKit application. The most effective remediation involves implementing prepared statements or parameterized queries for all database interactions, ensuring that user input is properly escaped or filtered before database processing. Organizations should also implement input sanitization routines that validate parameter types and lengths, particularly for numeric parameters like catid that should logically contain only integer values. Additionally, the application should employ proper error handling that prevents database error messages from being exposed to end users, as these can provide attackers with valuable information about the database structure. System administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious SQL injection patterns, while also conducting comprehensive security audits of all application components to identify similar vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include thorough code reviews focusing on database interaction patterns and input validation mechanisms to prevent future occurrences of similar weaknesses that could compromise system integrity and data confidentiality.