CVE-2007-6186 in PHPDevShell
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in PHPDevShell before 0.7.0 has unknown impact and attack vectors, involving a "minor security bug in repair & optimize database."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/12/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-6186 affects PHPDevShell versions prior to 0.7.0 and relates to a security flaw within the database repair and optimization functionality. This unspecified vulnerability exists within the database management components of the PHPDevShell application, which is a web-based development environment designed to facilitate database administration tasks. The affected version represents a critical security gap in the application's defensive posture, particularly concerning its handling of database maintenance operations that could potentially be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the database repair and optimization routines. While the specific exploit details remain unspecified, such flaws typically involve improper handling of user-supplied data or insufficient access controls during database maintenance operations. The vulnerability's classification as a "minor security bug" suggests it may not have been immediately apparent to developers or security researchers, yet it represents a significant risk to database integrity and system security. This type of vulnerability often falls under CWE-20, which encompasses weak input validation, or potentially CWE-79, related to cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that could be leveraged during database operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or unauthorized access. Attackers could potentially exploit the flawed database maintenance functionality to manipulate database structures, execute unauthorized queries, or gain elevated privileges within the application's environment. The repair and optimize functions typically require elevated database permissions, making this a particularly concerning weakness in applications that handle sensitive data. The vulnerability could enable attackers to perform operations such as data deletion, schema modification, or privilege escalation, all of which could compromise the entire database infrastructure.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078, which covers valid accounts and legitimate credentials, as the flawed database functions may provide indirect access pathways that bypass normal security controls. The impact is particularly severe in environments where PHPDevShell serves as a primary interface for database administration, as the vulnerability could be exploited to compromise entire database systems. Organizations relying on older versions of this application face increased risk of data breaches, system compromise, and potential regulatory violations if sensitive information is stored within the affected database environments.
The recommended mitigations include immediate upgrade to PHPDevShell version 0.7.0 or later, which contains the necessary security patches to address this vulnerability. Additionally, organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to database administration interfaces, enforce strict access controls and authentication mechanisms, and conduct regular security assessments of their database management tools. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and implementing comprehensive security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Regular security audits of database administration tools and applications should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities that may not have been explicitly documented in public vulnerability databases.