CVE-2008-6911 in BrewBlogger
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in the authenticateUser function in includes/authentication.inc.php in BrewBlogger (BB) 2.1.0.1, when magic_quotes_gpc is disabled, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the loginUsername parameter to includes/logincheck.inc.php. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6911 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the BrewBlogger web application version 2.1.0.1. This vulnerability specifically targets the authenticateUser function located in the includes/authentication.inc.php file, creating a dangerous pathway for remote attackers to manipulate the application's database operations. The flaw manifests when the PHP configuration parameter magic_quotes_gpc is disabled, which removes the automatic escaping of special characters in GET, POST, and COOKIE data, leaving the application susceptible to malicious input manipulation.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the loginUsername parameter within the includes/logincheck.inc.php file, which serves as the primary attack vector for executing arbitrary SQL commands. When an attacker submits malicious input through this parameter, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape the input before incorporating it into SQL queries, allowing the attacker to inject additional SQL statements that can manipulate the database. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection vulnerabilities where untrusted data is incorporated into SQL commands without proper validation or escaping mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or manipulation, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary database commands with the privileges of the web application's database user. This can result in complete database compromise, data exfiltration, unauthorized user account creation, and potential lateral movement within the application's infrastructure. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges, modify application behavior, or even gain access to underlying system resources if the database user has elevated permissions. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where the web application has access to sensitive user data, configuration information, or business-critical data.
Security professionals should prioritize immediate mitigation of this vulnerability through multiple approaches including input validation, parameterized queries, and proper output encoding. The most effective immediate solution involves implementing proper input sanitization and validation for all user-supplied data, particularly in authentication functions where database interactions occur. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious SQL injection patterns, while ensuring that magic_quotes_gpc is properly configured or that applications implement robust input validation mechanisms regardless of PHP configuration settings. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of defense-in-depth strategies and the necessity of implementing multiple security controls to protect against SQL injection attacks, as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework's database access techniques. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, as this type of flaw can exist in various parts of web applications beyond authentication functions.