CVE-2007-6171 in Asterisk
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in the Postgres Realtime Engine (res_config_pgsql) in Asterisk 1.4.x before 1.4.15 and C.x before C.1.0-beta6 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/12/2018
The CVE-2007-6171 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the Postgres Realtime Engine component of Asterisk telephony system. This vulnerability specifically affects Asterisk versions 1.4.x prior to 1.4.15 and C.x versions prior to C.1.0-beta6, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on VoIP infrastructure. The vulnerability resides in the res_config_pgsql module which handles PostgreSQL database connections for configuration management, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise telephony systems.
The technical flaw manifests through insufficient input validation and sanitization within the PostgreSQL configuration module. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious SQL commands that bypass normal input filtering mechanisms, allowing them to inject arbitrary SQL code into the database layer. The vulnerability's classification as a SQL injection (cwe-89) indicates that the system fails to properly escape or parameterize user-supplied data before incorporating it into database queries. This particular attack vector operates through unknown or unspecified input channels, making it particularly dangerous as defenders cannot easily predict or defend against all potential attack paths.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data theft, as it provides attackers with complete database access and potentially system-level privileges. Remote attackers can execute arbitrary SQL commands, which may lead to data manipulation, unauthorized access to sensitive telephony information, or even complete system compromise. In enterprise VoIP environments, this vulnerability could enable attackers to intercept communications, modify call routing, access user credentials, or escalate privileges to gain administrative control over the entire telephony infrastructure. The distributed nature of VoIP systems means that a single compromised endpoint could potentially provide access to broader network resources.
Organizations should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies including upgrading to patched versions of Asterisk where available, implementing network segmentation to isolate telephony systems, and deploying web application firewalls to monitor and filter database traffic. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and proper database query construction, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1190 for exploit public-facing application and CWE-89 for SQL injection prevention. Regular security assessments and penetration testing of telephony infrastructure should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities, while implementing principle of least privilege for database connections and monitoring database access logs for suspicious activity.