CVE-2008-6091 in BMForum
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in plugins.php in BMForum 5.6, when magic_quotes_gpc is disabled, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the tagname parameter.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6091 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the BMForum 5.6 software platform, specifically affecting the plugins.php component. This vulnerability emerges when the PHP configuration parameter magic_quotes_gpc is disabled, creating a dangerous condition where user input is not properly sanitized before being incorporated into database queries. The attack vector targets the tagname parameter, which serves as an entry point for malicious actors to manipulate the underlying database operations through crafted SQL commands. This issue demonstrates a fundamental failure in input validation and output encoding practices that has been documented under CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection vulnerabilities where untrusted data is directly included in SQL commands without proper sanitization.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the tagname parameter within the plugins.php script, which processes user-supplied data without adequate protection mechanisms. When magic_quotes_gpc is disabled, the application fails to automatically escape special characters that could alter the intended SQL query structure, allowing attackers to inject malicious SQL fragments that execute with the privileges of the database user. The operational impact extends beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation can lead to complete database compromise, unauthorized data modification, privilege escalation, and potential system-wide compromise. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004, which covers application layer protocol manipulation, and T1046, covering network service scanning, as attackers often probe for such vulnerabilities before executing more sophisticated attacks.
Organizations utilizing BMForum 5.6 must implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including upgrading to a patched version of the software or implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries. The most effective remediation involves ensuring that all user-supplied input is properly sanitized through parameterized database queries or explicit escaping functions, regardless of the magic_quotes_gpc configuration status. Security measures should include disabling the vulnerable plugin functionality until proper patches are applied, implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious SQL injection patterns, and conducting thorough code reviews to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining current security practices and not relying on deprecated protection mechanisms like magic_quotes_gpc, which has been removed in modern PHP versions due to its insufficient protection against sophisticated attacks. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify potential injection points and ensure that all database interactions follow secure coding practices aligned with OWASP Top Ten recommendations for preventing SQL injection vulnerabilities.