CVE-2008-3070 in MyBB
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in inc/datahandler/user.php in MyBB before 1.2.13 has unknown impact and attack vectors related to the $user[ language ] variable, probably related to SQL injection.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/27/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-3070 resides within the MyBB forum software version 1.2.12 and earlier, specifically in the inc/datahandler/user.php file. This represents a critical security flaw that affects the user data handling mechanism of the platform, where the $user[language] variable demonstrates susceptibility to malicious input manipulation. The vulnerability falls under the broader category of injection flaws, specifically SQL injection attacks, which have been classified under CWE-89 by the Common Weakness Enumeration project. The unspecified nature of the impact and attack vectors suggests that the flaw could potentially be exploited in multiple ways, making it particularly dangerous for administrators and users alike.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the user data processing routines. When the system processes user information, particularly concerning language preferences, the $user[language] variable fails to properly escape or validate special characters that could be interpreted as SQL commands. This allows an attacker to inject malicious SQL code through the language parameter, potentially gaining unauthorized access to the underlying database. The attack surface is expanded when considering that MyBB's user management system handles sensitive information including user credentials, personal details, and forum access permissions, making the database compromise particularly damaging.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to manipulate user accounts, modify forum content, or even escalate privileges within the system. The vulnerability's potential for remote code execution through database manipulation means that attackers could leverage this flaw to establish persistent access to the forum infrastructure. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application and T1078 - Valid Accounts, as it allows unauthorized access to legitimate user accounts and potentially system resources. The attack vectors likely include web application exploitation through crafted HTTP requests targeting the user registration or profile update functionality.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-3070 require immediate implementation of the official patch released by MyBB version 1.2.13, which addresses the input validation issue in the user data handler. Organizations should implement proper parameterized queries and input sanitization techniques to prevent similar vulnerabilities in other applications. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection, while regular security audits should verify that all user input is properly validated before database insertion. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping forum software updated and implementing robust input validation practices as recommended in the OWASP Top Ten security principles. System administrators should also monitor database logs for unusual query patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and conduct regular penetration testing to identify similar injection vulnerabilities in related applications.