CVE-2008-2340 in News Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities in News Manager 2.0 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the (1) lang parameter to (a) advsearch.php, (b) archive.php, and (c) index.php, and the (2) pid parameter to (d) list_tagitems.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/23/2024
The CVE-2008-2340 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw affecting News Manager 2.0, a content management system widely used for news publishing and management. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the application's core PHP scripts, creating multiple attack vectors that enable remote code execution through maliciously crafted SQL commands. The flaw specifically targets four distinct PHP files including advsearch php archive php and index php which process user-supplied language parameters, as well as list_tagitems php which handles post identifier parameters. These vulnerable endpoints fail to properly sanitize or escape user input before incorporating it into database queries, leaving the system exposed to malicious exploitation attempts.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when remote attackers manipulate the lang parameter in three different files or the pid parameter in list_tagitems php to inject malicious SQL code. When these parameters are processed without proper input validation, the application's database queries become vulnerable to manipulation, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-89 SQL Injection as defined by the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, which categorizes it as a persistent flaw in database interaction logic. The attack vectors leverage the application's trust in user input without proper sanitization, enabling attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms, extract sensitive data, modify database content, or even escalate privileges within the system.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-2340 extends beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive information. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain access to user credentials, personal information, and other confidential data stored within the application's database. The vulnerability's presence in multiple files increases the attack surface, making it more difficult for administrators to fully secure the system by patching only specific endpoints. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 Application Layer Protocol HTTP where attackers use web application vulnerabilities to execute malicious code, and T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application which describes how attackers target vulnerabilities in publicly accessible web applications to gain unauthorized access.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including input validation, parameterized queries, and proper output encoding to prevent SQL injection attacks. The recommended approach involves sanitizing all user inputs through proper validation routines before processing and implementing prepared statements or parameterized queries to separate SQL code from data. Security patches should be applied immediately to update the News Manager application to a version that addresses these vulnerabilities, as the original 2.0 version contains multiple unpatched security flaws. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure coding practices and regular security assessments to identify and remediate input validation weaknesses that could lead to complete system compromise.