CVE-2008-7080 in PHP Classifieds Script
Summary
by MITRE
Team PHP PHP Classifieds Script stores sensitive information under the web root with insufficient access control, which allows remote attackers to obtain database credentials via a direct request for admin/backup/datadump.sql.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/11/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-7080 represents a critical misconfiguration issue within the Team PHP PHP Classifieds Script that exposes sensitive database credentials to remote attackers. This flaw stems from improper file access controls and insecure directory structure placement where critical database backup files are stored directly within the web root directory. The administrative backup file datadump.sql contains database connection parameters including username and password information that are essential for database access and authentication. When this file is accessible through a direct HTTP request, it provides attackers with immediate access to database credentials without requiring any authentication or authorization mechanisms. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous as it eliminates the need for complex exploitation techniques and provides direct access to backend database systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-275 permissions issues and specifically represents a case of inadequate access control where files with sensitive information are placed in directories that are publicly accessible. The flaw operates at the application level where the web server configuration fails to properly restrict access to administrative files and backup data that should only be accessible to authorized system administrators. The vulnerability is classified as a path traversal or directory traversal issue where the web application does not properly validate access requests to sensitive files stored in the web root. This type of configuration error allows attackers to bypass normal access controls by simply requesting specific file paths that expose database credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with immediate access to database credentials that can be used for multiple malicious activities including unauthorized data access, data modification, data exfiltration, and potential system compromise. Attackers can leverage these credentials to perform database operations that may include reading sensitive user information, modifying database records, creating new database users, or even executing malicious code through database functions. The vulnerability enables a wide range of attack vectors that align with multiple ATT&CK techniques including credential access through valid accounts, privilege escalation, and data extraction. This vulnerability essentially provides a backdoor entry point that allows attackers to bypass normal authentication mechanisms and directly access the database infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must focus on immediate remediation of the file access control configuration and proper separation of administrative files from public web directories. The primary fix involves moving sensitive backup files outside the web root directory and implementing proper access controls that restrict access to administrative files based on user roles and authentication status. Organizations should implement proper file permissions that ensure only authorized system administrators can access sensitive database files through the web interface. Additionally, the application should be configured to prevent direct access to backup files through URL requests and implement proper input validation to prevent path traversal attacks. Security best practices dictate that backup files containing credentials should be stored in secure locations with restricted access permissions and should be encrypted when stored. Regular security audits should be conducted to ensure that sensitive files are not inadvertently placed in publicly accessible directories, and automated tools should be deployed to monitor for similar misconfigurations across the entire web application infrastructure.