CVE-2014-4987 in phpMyAdmin
Summary
by MITRE
server_user_groups.php in phpMyAdmin 4.1.x before 4.1.14.2 and 4.2.x before 4.2.6 allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended access restrictions and read the MySQL user list via a viewUsers request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/10/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-4987 represents a critical access control flaw in phpMyAdmin versions 4.1.x prior to 4.1.14.2 and 4.2.x prior to 4.2.6. This issue affects the server_user_groups.php component which handles user management operations within the phpMyAdmin interface. The vulnerability stems from insufficient authorization checks that allow authenticated users to escalate their privileges and bypass intended access restrictions. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting a specific viewUsers request that circumvents normal permission controls, thereby gaining unauthorized access to MySQL user listings that should only be accessible to administrators or users with appropriate privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a flaw in the permission validation mechanism within phpMyAdmin's user management system. When authenticated users submit a viewUsers request, the application fails to properly verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary privileges to access the MySQL user list. This represents a classic privilege escalation vulnerability that falls under CWE-284, which describes improper access control issues where an attacker can gain access to resources without proper authorization. The flaw essentially allows any authenticated user to bypass the normal access control checks that should prevent them from viewing user accounts and their associated permissions within the MySQL database.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with valuable intelligence about the database environment and user accounts. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can obtain comprehensive lists of MySQL users, including their privileges and access patterns, which can serve as a foundation for further attacks. This information disclosure can be leveraged to identify potential weak points in the database security architecture, such as users with excessive privileges or accounts that may be vulnerable to password attacks. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1087.001, which covers account discovery through enumeration of user accounts and their associated permissions. This access restriction bypass allows adversaries to gather information about the target environment and plan more sophisticated attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-4987 primarily focus on immediate patching of affected phpMyAdmin installations to versions 4.1.14.2 or 4.2.6 and later. Organizations should also implement additional security measures such as restricting access to phpMyAdmin interfaces through network-level controls, implementing strong authentication mechanisms, and monitoring for unusual access patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and authorization checking in web applications, particularly those handling administrative functions. Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit access to phpMyAdmin interfaces to only trusted administrative networks and establish regular security audits to identify similar access control weaknesses in other applications. Organizations should ensure that all phpMyAdmin installations are kept current with security patches and that proper access controls are implemented at multiple layers of the network infrastructure.