CVE-2010-4329 in phpMyAdmin
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the PMA_linkOrButton function in libraries/common.lib.php in the database (db) search script in phpMyAdmin 2.11.x before 2.11.11.1 and 3.x before 3.3.8.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/20/2025
The CVE-2010-4329 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within phpMyAdmin's database search functionality that emerged in versions prior to the mentioned security patches. This vulnerability specifically targets the PMA_linkOrButton function located in the libraries/common.lib.php file, which serves as a core component in the database management interface's search script implementation. The flaw exists in both the 2.11.x series before 2.11.11.1 and the 3.x series before 3.3.8.1, indicating a widespread impact across multiple major versions of the popular database administration tool. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code through crafted HTTP requests, potentially compromising user sessions and system integrity.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through improper input validation within the PMA_linkOrButton function, which fails to adequately sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it in the web interface. This insufficient sanitization creates an opening for attackers to inject malicious payloads that execute in the context of other users' browsers when they access the affected search functionality. The vulnerability stems from a classic XSS flaw where user input flows directly into HTML output without proper encoding or filtering mechanisms. According to CWE standards, this maps to CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-site Scripting vulnerabilities, and the flaw exhibits characteristics of CWE-116 related to improper encoding of special characters. The attack vector leverages the web application's trust in user input and its failure to properly validate or escape data before presentation.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-4329 extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive information, redirect users to malicious sites, or even execute arbitrary commands on affected systems. When users interact with the vulnerable search functionality, any malicious code injected through the crafted request executes in their browser context, potentially compromising their database access credentials, personal information, or system integrity. The vulnerability affects organizations using phpMyAdmin for database management, making it particularly dangerous in environments where database administrators frequently use the search features. Attackers could exploit this to gain unauthorized access to database content, modify or delete information, or establish persistent access through browser-based attacks. The impact is compounded by the fact that phpMyAdmin is widely used across various organizations, making this vulnerability a significant threat to database security.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-4329 primarily focus on immediate patching of affected phpMyAdmin versions to the secure releases mentioned in the advisory. Organizations should prioritize updating to phpMyAdmin 2.11.11.1 or 3.3.8.1 respectively, as these versions contain the necessary fixes for the XSS vulnerability. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and output encoding practices can serve as defensive measures, particularly when immediate patching is not feasible. Security professionals should also consider deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious XSS payloads targeting the vulnerable search functionality. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper sanitization of user inputs in web applications and aligns with ATT&CK framework techniques related to web application attacks, specifically covering T1190 for exploit public-facing application and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious patterns in search queries that might indicate exploitation attempts, and regular security assessments should include testing for similar input validation vulnerabilities in web applications.