CVE-2007-1287 in PHP
Summary
by MITRE
A regression error in the phpinfo function in PHP 4.4.3 to 4.4.6, and PHP 6.0 in CVS, allows remote attackers to conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks via GET, POST, or COOKIE array values, which are not escaped in the phpinfo output, as originally fixed for CVE-2005-3388.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/17/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-1287 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in PHP's phpinfo function that emerged as a regression error in specific PHP versions. This issue affects PHP 4.4.3 through 4.4.6 and PHP 6.0 in CVS, demonstrating how security fixes can sometimes introduce new vulnerabilities through incomplete regression testing. The flaw specifically targets the phpinfo function's handling of array values from GET, POST, and COOKIE parameters, which are not properly escaped when displayed in the phpinfo output, creating an avenue for malicious input to be executed as client-side scripts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the phpinfo function's failure to sanitize array input values before rendering them in the output. When PHP processes array data from HTTP requests through GET, POST, or COOKIE parameters, the phpinfo function does not adequately escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This regression error essentially reverts the protection mechanisms that were previously implemented to address CVE-2005-3388, leaving applications vulnerable to XSS attacks where attackers can inject malicious scripts through array parameters that get displayed in the phpinfo output.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-1287 extends beyond simple XSS exploitation as it provides attackers with a mechanism to harvest sensitive information from PHP applications. When an attacker can manipulate array values in HTTP requests to inject malicious code that gets executed in the phpinfo output, they can potentially access server configuration details, environment variables, and other sensitive information that would normally be hidden from end users. This vulnerability particularly affects applications that do not properly validate or sanitize input parameters, and it can be leveraged to establish persistent XSS attacks that could compromise user sessions or redirect users to malicious sites.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a technique for code injection and privilege escalation, where attackers can manipulate application behavior through input validation bypasses. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to patched PHP versions, implementing proper input validation for all array parameters, and using output escaping mechanisms to prevent malicious code execution in server-side function outputs. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of comprehensive regression testing in security patches, as the fix for CVE-2005-3388 was inadvertently reverted in the affected PHP versions, emphasizing the need for thorough quality assurance processes in security updates.