CVE-2008-4665 in Matchmaking
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in PG Matchmaking allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the id parameter to (1) news_read.php and (2) gifts_show.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-4665 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the PG Matchmaking application that exposes remote attackers to significant system compromise capabilities. This vulnerability specifically affects two key files within the application's web interface: news_read.php and gifts_show.php, both of which process user input through the id parameter without adequate sanitization or validation mechanisms. The flaw resides in the application's failure to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before incorporating it into SQL query constructs, creating an exploitable pathway for malicious actors to manipulate database operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which categorizes SQL injection as a direct result of insufficient input validation and sanitization. When attackers manipulate the id parameter in either of the affected scripts, they can inject malicious SQL code that executes within the database context. This occurs because the application constructs SQL queries dynamically by concatenating user input directly into query strings without proper parameterization or escaping techniques. The vulnerability enables attackers to perform unauthorized database operations including data retrieval, modification, deletion, and potentially administrative command execution depending on the database permissions assigned to the application's database user account.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system's data assets. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to extract sensitive information from the database, including user credentials, personal data, and business-critical information stored within the matchmaking platform. The impact extends beyond simple data theft as attackers may also be able to modify or delete records, potentially disrupting the platform's functionality and compromising user trust. The remote nature of the exploit means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or local network presence, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous for web-hosted applications.
The attack surface for this vulnerability encompasses any user interaction with the news_read.php and gifts_show.php scripts, particularly when these pages accept user-provided identifiers. Attackers can leverage various techniques including union-based queries, boolean-based inference, or error-based exploitation methods to extract information from the database. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would fall under the T1190 technique for exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications, specifically targeting the web application layer. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation, parameterized queries, and proper output encoding to prevent SQL injection attacks. Additionally, regular security assessments, web application firewalls, and database activity monitoring should be deployed to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The remediation process requires comprehensive code review of all database interaction points, implementation of prepared statements or parameterized queries, and establishment of proper input sanitization routines to ensure that user-supplied data cannot be interpreted as SQL commands.