CVE-2008-5906 in KTorrent
Summary
by MITRE
Eval injection vulnerability in the web interface plugin in KTorrent before 3.1.4 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code via unspecified parameters to this interface s PHP scripts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/28/2019
The CVE-2008-5906 vulnerability represents a critical server-side evaluation injection flaw discovered in the web interface plugin of KTorrent version 3.1.3 and earlier. This vulnerability resides within the web-based administration interface that KTorrent provides for remote management of torrent operations, creating a significant attack surface that malicious actors could exploit to gain unauthorized system access. The flaw specifically affects the PHP script execution within the web interface, where user-supplied input parameters are not properly sanitized or validated before being processed by the server-side PHP interpreter.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-94, which describes "Improper Control of Generation of Code" or "Code Injection," where untrusted data is incorporated into executable code without proper validation or sanitization. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting malicious input parameters that are passed to the vulnerable PHP scripts through the web interface. When these parameters are processed, they can be interpreted and executed as PHP code, allowing for arbitrary command execution on the affected system. The unspecified parameters mentioned in the vulnerability description suggest that multiple input vectors within the web interface could be exploited, making the attack surface broader than initially apparent.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-5906 is severe and multifaceted, as it enables remote code execution capabilities that can lead to complete system compromise. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can execute arbitrary PHP code on the target system, potentially gaining full administrative control over the affected KTorrent instance. This could result in unauthorized access to the underlying file system, data exfiltration, modification of torrent configurations, and potentially the use of the compromised system as a launch point for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows remote exploitation without requiring authentication, making it an attractive target for automated attacks and botnet operators.
Organizations and system administrators should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including updating to KTorrent version 3.1.4 or later where the flaw has been patched. The fix typically involves implementing proper input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the web interface plugin to prevent user-supplied parameters from being interpreted as executable code. Additionally, network segmentation and firewall rules should be configured to restrict access to the KTorrent web interface to trusted networks only, while implementing web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious requests. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PHP" and T1190 for "Exploit Public-Facing Application," highlighting the need for both defensive measures and threat hunting activities to detect potential exploitation attempts.