CVE-2008-0753 in Virtual War
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in calendar.php in Virtual War (VWar) 1.5 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the month parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-0753 represents a critical sql injection flaw within the Virtual War (VWar) 1.5 web application, specifically affecting the calendar.php script. This vulnerability resides in the application's handling of user input through the month parameter, which is processed without proper sanitization or validation before being incorporated into sql queries. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate the sql execution flow by injecting malicious sql code through the vulnerable parameter, potentially compromising the entire database infrastructure. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of CWE-89 sql injection as defined by the common weakness enumeration, which systematically catalogs software security weaknesses. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it allows remote exploitation without requiring authentication or prior access to the system, making it highly attractive to malicious actors seeking unauthorized database access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the calendar.php script where the month parameter is directly concatenated into sql statements without appropriate escaping or parameterization techniques. When an attacker submits a malicious value through the month parameter, the application fails to sanitize this input before executing it within the sql context. This lack of input sanitization creates an environment where sql commands can be injected and executed with the privileges of the database user account under which the web application operates. The vulnerability is classified as a remote code execution vector through database manipulation, allowing attackers to perform unauthorized operations such as data retrieval, modification, deletion, or even database schema enumeration. The impact extends beyond simple data theft as attackers can potentially escalate privileges or gain deeper system access through database-level attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it provides attackers with unrestricted access to the application's underlying database containing potentially sensitive information. In the context of Virtual War 1.5, which is a web-based gaming platform, this vulnerability could expose user accounts, game data, session information, and potentially administrative credentials stored in the database. The remote nature of the exploit means that attackers can target the vulnerability from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the server infrastructure. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190 for exploitation of remote services and T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage. The vulnerability's exploitation can lead to complete system compromise, data breaches, and service disruption, particularly if the database contains sensitive user information or if attackers can leverage the vulnerability to gain elevated privileges within the system.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-0753 must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in the future. The primary fix involves implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries throughout the application code, specifically ensuring that all user-supplied data is sanitized before being incorporated into sql statements. This approach aligns with security best practices outlined in OWASP top ten and follows the principle of least privilege for database connections. Organizations should also implement web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious sql injection patterns, while establishing regular security code reviews and automated vulnerability scanning processes. Additionally, the application should be updated to a patched version of Virtual War 1.5 that addresses this specific vulnerability, as the original version is no longer supported and likely contains other unpatched security flaws. Database access controls should be reviewed to ensure that web application accounts have minimal required privileges, and comprehensive logging should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of input validation and proper sql query construction in preventing remote code execution through database manipulation attacks.