CVE-2008-5813 in SPIP
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in inc/rubriques.php in SPIP 1.8 before 1.8.3b, 1.9 before 1.9.2g, and 2.0 before 2.0.2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the ID parameter. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/23/2018
The CVE-2008-5813 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw discovered in the SPIP content management system, affecting versions prior to specific security patches. This vulnerability resides within the inc/rubriques.php component of the software, which handles article and section management functionality. The flaw specifically impacts SPIP versions 1.8.x before 1.8.3b, 1.9.x before 1.9.2g, and 2.0.x before 2.0.2, indicating a widespread issue affecting multiple major release lines of this open-source publishing platform.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of the ID parameter within the inc/rubriques.php script. When user input is improperly sanitized or escaped before being incorporated into SQL queries, attackers can inject malicious SQL commands that execute with the privileges of the web application. This parameter-based injection allows adversaries to bypass authentication mechanisms, extract sensitive database information, modify or delete content, and potentially escalate their privileges within the system. The vulnerability falls under CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws where untrusted data is directly incorporated into SQL command strings without proper validation or escaping.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise. Attackers can leverage this flaw to gain unauthorized access to the database containing sensitive information such as user credentials, content management data, and potentially other system configurations. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the system, making it particularly dangerous for web-facing applications. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190, which describes exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications to gain unauthorized access to systems.
Organizations running affected SPIP versions face significant risk of data breaches, content manipulation, and potential system takeover. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple major versions suggests a fundamental flaw in input validation that required patching across different codebases. Security professionals should immediately implement mitigation strategies including applying the latest security patches, implementing proper input validation, and monitoring database access logs for suspicious activity. Additionally, network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection while awaiting full patch deployment. The incident highlights the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing robust input sanitization practices to prevent such widespread exploitation opportunities.