CVE-2012-4252 in MySQLDumper
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in MySQLDumper 1.24.4 allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that (1) remove file access restriction via a deletehtaccess action, (2) drop a database via a kill value in a db action, (3) uninstall the application via a 101 value in the phase parameter to learn/cubemail/install.php, (4) delete config.php via a 2 value in the phase parameter to learn/cubemail/install.php, (5) change a password via a schutz action, or (6) execute arbitrary SQL commands via the sql_statement parameter to learn/cubemail/sql.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/01/2025
The CVE-2012-4252 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw affecting MySQLDumper version 1.24.4, which enables remote attackers to exploit administrative sessions through carefully crafted malicious requests. This vulnerability operates at the application level and demonstrates a fundamental failure in authentication and session management controls that directly compromises the security posture of affected systems. The flaw stems from the application's insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation, allowing attackers to manipulate administrative functions through forged requests that appear legitimate to the target system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests across multiple attack vectors within the MySQLDumper application framework, each targeting specific administrative functions that could result in severe system compromise. The first vector allows attackers to remove file access restrictions by exploiting a deletehtaccess action, effectively bypassing security controls that protect sensitive application files. The second vector enables database destruction through a kill value parameter within the db action, potentially leading to complete data loss and system unavailability. The third and fourth vectors target the application installation process through the learn/cubemail/install.php endpoint, where attackers can uninstall the application or delete critical configuration files using phase parameters with values 101 and 2 respectively. The fifth vector permits password changes through a schutz action, compromising administrative access control, while the sixth vector allows execution of arbitrary SQL commands via the sql_statement parameter in learn/cubemail/sql.php, potentially enabling full database compromise and data exfiltration.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with comprehensive administrative control over affected systems. The combination of these attack vectors creates a multi-stage exploitation pathway that could result in complete system compromise, data destruction, unauthorized access to sensitive information, and potential lateral movement within network environments. Organizations running MySQLDumper 1.24.4 face significant risk of unauthorized database manipulation, application removal, and persistent access through password changes, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where database integrity and availability are paramount. The vulnerability directly violates several security principles including authentication validation, input sanitization, and privilege separation as outlined in the CWE catalog under CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-4252 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected MySQLDumper application to version 1.24.5 or later, which contains the necessary CSRF protection mechanisms. Organizations should implement proper anti-CSRF token validation throughout the application interface, ensuring that all administrative actions require legitimate session validation and request origin verification. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit exposure of administrative interfaces to trusted networks only, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect suspicious administrative activity patterns. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for phishing, highlighting the importance of both credential protection and user education to prevent exploitation. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments to identify other potentially vulnerable applications within their environment that may exhibit similar CSRF implementation flaws, as this vulnerability type remains prevalent in many legacy web applications.