CVE-2008-6725 in CMScout
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities in CMScout 2.06 allow remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the id parameter to (1) index.php in a mythings page (mythings.php) and (2) the users page in admin.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6725 represents a critical security flaw in CMScout 2.06, a content management system that suffered from multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities affecting its administrative interfaces. This vulnerability specifically targets the handling of user input through the id parameter within two distinct administrative pages, creating a pathway for authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands on the underlying database system. The flaw exists in the mythings page through the index.php file and the users page within the admin.php interface, demonstrating a widespread issue in the application's input validation mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied input within the application's database query construction process. When authenticated users submit data through the affected pages, the system fails to properly escape or validate the id parameter before incorporating it into SQL statements. This allows attackers to inject malicious SQL code that gets executed by the database server, potentially enabling full database access, data manipulation, or even system compromise. The vulnerability specifically maps to CWE-89 which describes improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command, commonly known as SQL injection. This weakness allows attackers to manipulate database queries through crafted input, bypassing normal authentication and authorization mechanisms.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to organizations using CMScout 2.06, as it requires only authenticated access to exploit. The attacker need not possess administrative credentials initially, but can leverage legitimate user accounts to gain elevated privileges through SQL injection attacks. The impact extends beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation can lead to complete database compromise, data corruption, unauthorized user account creation, and potential lateral movement within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited repeatedly by attackers who maintain access to the system, potentially leading to long-term compromise of sensitive information and system integrity.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve immediate implementation of input validation and parameterized queries throughout the application codebase. Organizations should apply the vendor-provided security patches or upgrade to a newer version of CMScout that addresses these SQL injection flaws. Additionally, implementing proper input sanitization techniques such as prepared statements and parameterized queries would prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in the future. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit the scope of potential exploitation, while regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar weaknesses. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 which describes application layer protocol manipulation and T1046 which covers network service discovery, as attackers would typically first identify vulnerable components before exploiting them through SQL injection attacks.