CVE-2007-6100 in phpMyAdmin
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in libraries/auth/cookie.auth.lib.php in phpMyAdmin before 2.11.2.2, when logins are authenticated with the cookie auth_type, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the convcharset parameter to index.php, a different vulnerability than CVE-2005-0992.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/07/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-6100 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the phpMyAdmin web application framework. This security weakness specifically affects versions prior to 2.11.2.2 and occurs within the cookie authentication mechanism. The vulnerability manifests when users authenticate through the cookie-based authentication method, making it particularly concerning for database administration interfaces that handle sensitive information. The flaw exists in the libraries/auth/cookie.auth.lib.php file, which processes authentication parameters and handles user session management. This particular implementation does not properly sanitize user input before rendering it within web pages, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of the convcharset parameter within the index.php script. When an attacker crafts a malicious request containing specially formatted input in this parameter, the phpMyAdmin application fails to adequately filter or escape the input before incorporating it into dynamically generated HTML content. This injection allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the victim's browser when they access the affected page. The vulnerability is distinct from CVE-2005-0992, indicating it represents a separate code path or implementation flaw within the authentication system. This XSS vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited without requiring authentication to the target system, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that are publicly accessible.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, data theft, and redirection to malicious websites. Attackers can exploit this flaw to steal user sessions, potentially gaining unauthorized access to database systems that the legitimate users can access. The vulnerability affects the core authentication and session management functionality of phpMyAdmin, which is critical for database security. Given that phpMyAdmin is widely used for database administration across various organizations, this vulnerability could be leveraged to compromise database access controls and potentially escalate privileges within database environments. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires no special privileges to exploit and can be executed through standard web browser interactions.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to phpMyAdmin version 2.11.2.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this vulnerability. The fix typically involves proper input sanitization and output encoding of user-supplied parameters before they are rendered in web pages. Security teams should also consider implementing additional protective measures such as web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious XSS payloads targeting this specific parameter. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving command and control communication and privilege escalation through web application exploitation. Regular security assessments and input validation reviews should be conducted to prevent similar issues in other web applications, as this type of vulnerability remains prevalent in web development environments and continues to be exploited in various security incidents.