CVE-2008-0719 in Customer Testimonials
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in customer_testimonials.php in the Customer Testimonials 3 and 3.1 Addon for osCommerce Online Merchant 2.2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the testimonial_id parameter.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/16/2024
The CVE-2008-0719 vulnerability represents a critical sql injection flaw within the Customer Testimonials 3 and 3.1 Addon for osCommerce Online Merchant 2.2 e-commerce platform. This vulnerability specifically targets the customer_testimonials.php script which handles testimonial display functionality, making it a prime target for malicious actors seeking to compromise online retail systems. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient input validation and sanitization of user-supplied data, particularly the testimonial_id parameter that is directly incorporated into sql query construction without proper escaping or parameterization.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when remote attackers manipulate the testimonial_id parameter through http requests, allowing them to inject malicious sql code that gets executed by the underlying database engine. This unvalidated input flows directly into sql statements without proper sanitization, enabling attackers to perform unauthorized database operations including data extraction, modification, or deletion. The vulnerability classifies under CWE-89 sql injection as it demonstrates the classic pattern of direct sql command concatenation with user-controllable input, creating an attack surface where malicious payloads can be interpreted as sql syntax rather than data.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to e-commerce platforms running vulnerable versions of osCommerce. Attackers could potentially extract sensitive customer information, including personal data and purchase histories, modify testimonial content to spread misinformation, or even escalate privileges within the database to gain broader system access. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of customer testimonials which are often displayed publicly, making it particularly dangerous as attackers can craft malicious payloads that execute during normal user interactions. The attack vector is straightforward requiring only basic http request manipulation, making this vulnerability particularly attractive to automated exploitation tools.
The remediation approach for CVE-2008-0719 requires immediate implementation of proper input validation and parameterized sql queries. Organizations should upgrade to patched versions of the Customer Testimonials addon or osCommerce 2.2, ensuring that all user inputs are properly sanitized before database interaction. The solution must implement proper sql parameterization techniques, where user-supplied data is treated as literal values rather than executable code. Security measures should include input length validation, whitelist validation for testimonial_id parameters, and comprehensive logging of suspicious input patterns. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and regular security scanning can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols, as it exploits web application interfaces through malformed http requests. The remediation strategy should also consider implementing database user privilege separation, where application accounts have minimal required permissions, reducing potential impact from successful exploitation. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their osCommerce installations to identify other potential sql injection vulnerabilities within the codebase and ensure proper input validation across all user-controllable parameters.