CVE-2008-3359 in Intranet Knowledgebase
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in register.php in Steve Bourgeois and Chris Vincent Owl Intranet Knowledgebase 0.95 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the username parameter. NOTE: the provenance of this information is unknown; the details are obtained solely from third party information.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/22/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-3359 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the Owl Intranet Knowledgebase version 0.95 and earlier, specifically affecting the register.php script. This vulnerability resides in the application's handling of user input through the username parameter, creating a pathway for remote attackers to manipulate the underlying database operations. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before incorporating it into SQL query constructs. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection weaknesses where untrusted data is directly concatenated into SQL commands without proper escaping or parameterization. This weakness creates a direct attack vector that can be exploited to execute arbitrary SQL commands on the database server, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or modification, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform unauthorized database operations including data extraction, insertion, update, or deletion. Remote attackers can leverage this flaw to bypass authentication mechanisms, escalate privileges, or even execute operating system commands if the database server has appropriate permissions. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical expertise, making it particularly dangerous as it can be targeted by automated scanning tools and script kiddies. The attack surface is limited to the registration functionality, but this single point of failure can have cascading effects throughout the entire system, especially if the database user account has elevated privileges. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1190 which describes the use of SQL injection attacks to gain access to databases and extract sensitive information.
The remediation approach for CVE-2008-3359 requires immediate implementation of proper input validation and parameterized queries to prevent the injection of malicious SQL code. Developers should implement strict input sanitization measures that filter out or escape special characters that could be used in SQL injection attacks. The recommended solution involves using prepared statements or parameterized queries which separate the SQL command structure from the user input data, ensuring that user-supplied values are treated as data rather than executable code. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and privilege management can limit the damage that could occur even if exploitation is successful. The application should also employ proper error handling that does not reveal database structure information to users, as this can aid attackers in crafting more sophisticated attacks. Organizations should conduct thorough code reviews and implement security testing procedures including dynamic and static analysis to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the application. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following secure coding practices and maintaining up-to-date security patches as the affected version 0.95 and earlier represents an outdated codebase that likely contains additional undiscovered vulnerabilities.