CVE-2008-1295 in phpMyNewsletter
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in archives.php in Gregory Kokanosky (aka Greg s Place) phpMyNewsletter 0.8 beta 5 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the msg_id parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/19/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1295 represents a critical sql injection flaw within the phpMyNewsletter application version 0.8 beta 5 and earlier. This vulnerability specifically targets the archives.php script and exploits the msg_id parameter to allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary sql commands on the underlying database server. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before incorporating it into sql queries. This type of vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration category CWE-89, which specifically addresses sql injection vulnerabilities that occur when untrusted data is directly included in sql commands without proper sanitization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with unrestricted access to the database contents, potentially enabling them to extract sensitive information, modify or delete data, and in some cases gain further system access. The vulnerability exists in the context of a newsletter management system where the msg_id parameter is used to retrieve specific message archives from the database. When an attacker manipulates this parameter with malicious sql payloads, the application fails to properly sanitize the input, allowing the injected sql code to execute within the database context. This creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited by remote attackers without requiring authentication or prior access to the system.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with several techniques documented in the attack tactics and techniques framework, particularly those related to command injection and data manipulation. Attackers can leverage this flaw to perform unauthorized data access, potentially compromising user information, newsletter content, and system integrity. The vulnerability demonstrates poor secure coding practices and highlights the importance of implementing proper input validation, parameterized queries, and output encoding. According to industry best practices and security frameworks, this type of vulnerability should be addressed through comprehensive code review processes, implementation of prepared statements, and adherence to secure coding standards that prevent direct sql command construction from user inputs.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching of the affected phpMyNewsletter application to version 0.8 beta 6 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the sql injection vulnerability. Organizations should also implement proper input validation mechanisms that filter and sanitize all user-supplied data before processing, utilize parameterized queries or prepared statements to separate sql code from data, and conduct regular security assessments of web applications. Additionally, network segmentation and database access controls can help limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing robust security measures throughout the software development lifecycle to prevent such dangerous flaws from being introduced into production systems.