CVE-2008-1350 in Fully Modded phpBB
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in kb.php in Fully Modded phpBB (phpbbfm) 80220 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the k parameter in an article action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/19/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1350 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the Fully Modded phpBB (phpbbfm) version 80220 content management system. This weakness specifically manifests in the kb.php file where the k parameter in article actions becomes susceptible to malicious input manipulation. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization practices within the application's database interaction layer, creating an exploitable condition that enables unauthorized users to inject malicious SQL commands directly into the backend database queries.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input for the k parameter in the article action context. This parameter is directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization, allowing attackers to manipulate the query structure and potentially execute arbitrary database commands. The flaw falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection vulnerabilities where untrusted data is embedded into SQL commands without proper escaping or parameterization. This weakness enables attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms, extract sensitive data, modify database contents, or even escalate privileges within the affected system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it provides attackers with comprehensive database access capabilities that can compromise the entire application infrastructure. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform unauthorized data manipulation, including deleting critical records, modifying user permissions, or extracting confidential information such as user credentials, session tokens, and sensitive business data. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires no local access or authentication, making it highly exploitable from any network location. According to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to the T1190 technique for exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications, and the T1078 credential access methods that can be achieved through database compromise.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-1350 must focus on immediate input validation and parameterization of all database queries. The most effective approach involves implementing prepared statements or parameterized queries throughout the application codebase, ensuring that user input is never directly concatenated into SQL commands. Additionally, comprehensive input sanitization routines should be deployed to filter out malicious characters and patterns that could be used in SQL injection attempts. The system should also implement proper access controls and privilege management, ensuring that database connections use minimal required permissions. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of their phpBB installations, as this type of injection flaw often indicates broader application security weaknesses that require systematic remediation across the entire codebase.