CVE-2007-3558 in Photo Gallery
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in Coppermine Photo Gallery (CPG) before 1.4.11 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via an album password cookie to an unspecified component.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/14/2025
The CVE-2007-3558 vulnerability represents a critical sql injection flaw in the Coppermine Photo Gallery software ecosystem, specifically affecting versions prior to 1.4.11. This vulnerability resides within the authentication handling mechanism of the gallery system, where an attacker can manipulate the album password cookie to inject malicious sql commands into the underlying database layer. The flaw manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user input from the album password cookie, allowing malicious payloads to be executed directly against the database engine. This vulnerability type falls under the common weakness enumeration category CWE-89, which specifically addresses sql injection vulnerabilities that occur when untrusted data is incorporated into sql queries without proper validation or escaping mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary sql commands on the affected database server. This means that an attacker could potentially extract sensitive information from database tables, modify or delete content, create new database users with elevated privileges, or even escalate their access to the underlying operating system if proper database security measures are not in place. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no authentication to exploit, making it a remote code execution vector that can be leveraged by any internet-facing system running vulnerable versions of Coppermine Photo Gallery. Attackers can craft malicious cookies that, when processed by the application, trigger sql injection attacks against the database backend.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with several tactics described in the attack technique framework, particularly those involving initial access and privilege escalation through database manipulation. The attack surface is broad as it affects any system administrator who has deployed Coppermine Photo Gallery without upgrading to version 1.4.11 or later, making it a significant concern for organizations with legacy web applications. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices and highlights the importance of implementing proper parameterized queries or sql escaping mechanisms in web applications. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability exemplifies how authentication bypass mechanisms can be subverted through sql injection techniques, creating a pathway for attackers to gain unauthorized access to database resources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-3558 should focus on immediate patching of affected systems to version 1.4.11 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes to prevent sql injection attacks through album password cookies. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation for all user-supplied data, particularly cookie values, and establish proper sql query parameterization techniques to prevent malicious input from being executed as database commands. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls to monitor for suspicious cookie patterns, conducting regular security assessments of web applications, and establishing proper database access controls to limit the potential impact of successful sql injection attacks. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of keeping web applications updated and following secure coding practices to prevent sql injection vulnerabilities from being exploited in production environments.