CVE-2007-1554 in Guestbara
Summary
by MITRE
Direct static code injection vulnerability in admin/configuration.php in Guestbara 1.2 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary PHP code into config.php via the (1) admin_mail, (2) emotpatch, (3) login, (4) pass, and unspecified other parameters. NOTE: the provenance of this information is unknown; the details are obtained solely from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-1554 represents a critical direct static code injection flaw within the Guestbara 1.2 content management system and earlier versions. This vulnerability resides in the administrative configuration file handling mechanism, specifically within the admin/configuration.php script that manages various system parameters. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization practices during the processing of administrative configuration updates, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject arbitrary PHP code into the system's configuration file.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of multiple configurable parameters within the administrative interface. Attackers can exploit this weakness by injecting malicious code through fields designated for admin_mail, emotpatch, login, and pass parameters, along with other unspecified configuration variables. The injection occurs because the application fails to properly validate or escape user-supplied input before incorporating it into the config.php file, which is then executed as PHP code. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-94, which describes the execution of arbitrary code or commands, and specifically relates to the broader category of code injection vulnerabilities that allow attackers to execute malicious code within the target system's context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for any system administrator who has authenticated access to the Guestbara administration interface. Remote authenticated users with administrative privileges can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary PHP code on the server hosting the Guestbara application, potentially gaining complete control over the system. The injected code executes with the privileges of the web server process, which typically runs with elevated permissions that could allow attackers to read sensitive files, modify database contents, install backdoors, or even compromise other systems within the network. This vulnerability effectively transforms a legitimate administrative function into a vector for complete system compromise, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrative access is granted to multiple users.
The attack vector requires only that an attacker possess valid administrative credentials, which significantly reduces the barrier to exploitation compared to vulnerabilities requiring additional reconnaissance or privilege escalation techniques. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK framework tactic TA0003 (Persistence) and technique T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter), as the vulnerability enables persistent access through code injection that can be maintained across system reboots. Organizations using Guestbara versions 1.2 or earlier should immediately implement mitigations including patching to the latest available version, implementing strict input validation for all administrative parameters, and monitoring for suspicious configuration changes. Additionally, network segmentation and least privilege access controls can help limit the potential damage from successful exploitation, while regular security audits should verify that no malicious code has been injected into the configuration files. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and the principle of least privilege in web application security, as proper sanitization of administrative inputs could have prevented this dangerous code injection scenario.