CVE-2008-5844 in PHP
Summary
by MITRE
PHP 5.2.7 contains an incorrect change to the FILTER_UNSAFE_RAW functionality, and unintentionally disables magic_quotes_gpc regardless of the actual magic_quotes_gpc setting, which might make it easier for context-dependent attackers to conduct SQL injection attacks and unspecified other attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/24/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-5844 represents a critical flaw in PHP version 5.2.7 that fundamentally undermines the security mechanisms designed to protect applications from malicious input. This issue stems from an erroneous implementation within the FILTER_UNSAFE_RAW functionality, which was intended to provide a mechanism for filtering input data while maintaining security standards. The flaw manifests as an unintended side effect that completely disables the magic_quotes_gpc directive, regardless of its actual configuration state within the PHP environment. This represents a significant regression in security controls that had been established to protect applications from injection attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs at the core filtering layer of PHP's input processing system, where the FILTER_UNSAFE_RAW filter incorrectly manipulates the internal state of the magic_quotes_gpc configuration parameter. When this filter is applied to user input, it triggers a cascade of unintended behavior that overrides the system's fundamental security settings. The magic_quotes_gpc feature was designed to automatically escape certain characters in GET, POST, and COOKIE data, providing an additional layer of protection against SQL injection and other injection-based attacks. By disabling this mechanism, the vulnerability creates a pathway for attackers to bypass these essential protections.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability significantly increases the attack surface for applications running on the affected PHP version, particularly those that rely on the magic_quotes_gpc functionality for input validation. The context-dependent nature of this flaw means that the vulnerability is most exploitable when applications are already processing user input through the affected filtering mechanisms. Attackers can leverage this weakness to craft SQL injection payloads that would otherwise be neutralized by the magic_quotes_gpc protection, potentially leading to unauthorized database access, data exfiltration, and complete system compromise. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple SQL injection scenarios, as it may enable other types of attacks that depend on the absence of proper input sanitization.
The security implications of CVE-2008-5844 align with CWE-116, which addresses the improper encoding or escaping of output data, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol traffic encryption. Organizations utilizing affected PHP versions face substantial risk as this vulnerability essentially removes a critical security control that had been in place for years. The flaw demonstrates poor quality assurance practices in the PHP development lifecycle, where a seemingly minor change to filtering functionality resulted in a catastrophic security regression. Mitigation efforts should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems, with additional security measures including input validation at multiple layers, regular security assessments, and implementation of web application firewalls to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. System administrators should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability scans to identify applications that may be particularly vulnerable due to their reliance on the disabled magic_quotes_gpc functionality.