CVE-2014-4349 in phpMyAdmin
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in phpMyAdmin 4.1.x before 4.1.14.1 and 4.2.x before 4.2.4 allow remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted table name that is improperly handled after a (1) hide or (2) unhide action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/18/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-4349 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within phpMyAdmin versions 4.1.x prior to 4.1.14.1 and 4.2.x prior to 4.2.4. This security weakness enables authenticated attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers, potentially compromising the integrity of database management sessions and user data. The vulnerability specifically manifests when phpMyAdmin fails to properly sanitize table names during certain administrative operations, creating an avenue for persistent malicious code injection that can affect multiple users within the same phpMyAdmin instance.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through crafted table names that are processed during hide or unhide actions within the phpMyAdmin interface. When administrators perform these operations on database tables, the application does not adequately filter or escape special characters in table names, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that persist in the application's user interface. This flaw falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically representing a reflected XSS vulnerability where user input is improperly handled and subsequently executed in the browser context. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authenticated access to the phpMyAdmin interface, meaning that any user with valid credentials can potentially exploit this weakness.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-4349 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive database credentials, and manipulate database operations. An attacker could craft malicious table names that, when hidden or unhidden, execute scripts that steal cookies or session tokens from other users. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through social engineering and T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, as the injected scripts could potentially establish persistent backdoors or execute further malicious payloads. The attack surface is significant since phpMyAdmin is widely deployed across web hosting environments, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations that rely on this tool for database administration.
The remediation strategy for this vulnerability requires immediate patching of affected phpMyAdmin installations to versions 4.1.14.1 or 4.2.4 and later, which contain proper input sanitization mechanisms for table names. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of phpMyAdmin interfaces to only authorized personnel. Additionally, regular security audits should verify that all phpMyAdmin installations are updated to current versions, and input validation should be enforced through proper encoding of user-supplied data in all database management interfaces. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in web applications and highlights the critical need for regular security updates in widely-used open source tools.