CVE-2014-8596 in PHP-Fusion
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities in PHP-Fusion 7.02.07 allow remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the (1) submit_id parameter in a 2 action to files/administration/submissions.php or (2) status parameter to files/administration/members.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/22/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-8596 represents a critical security flaw in PHP-Fusion version 7.02.07 that exposes the content management system to remote code execution through SQL injection attacks. This vulnerability affects authenticated users who possess valid credentials within the system, making it particularly dangerous as it leverages legitimate user access to escalate privileges and compromise the underlying database infrastructure. The flaw manifests in two distinct attack vectors that target different administrative components of the PHP-Fusion platform, creating multiple pathways for exploitation and increasing the overall risk profile.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the administrative interfaces of PHP-Fusion. When authenticated users submit requests containing maliciously crafted parameters, the application fails to properly escape or validate the input data before incorporating it into SQL query structures. The first exploitation vector occurs through the submit_id parameter within the files/administration/submissions.php endpoint, where an attacker can manipulate the parameter to inject arbitrary SQL commands that execute within the database context. The second vector targets the status parameter in files/administration/members.php, which similarly lacks proper input sanitization and allows attackers to manipulate database queries through crafted status values.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-8596 extends beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation can enable attackers to gain complete control over the database backend and potentially the entire web application infrastructure. Attackers can leverage these vulnerabilities to extract sensitive user information, modify database records, inject malicious content, or even escalate privileges to administrative accounts. The authenticated nature of the attack means that attackers do not require direct network access to the database but can exploit the vulnerability through the web application interface. This creates a significant risk for organizations that rely on PHP-Fusion for content management, as compromised administrative accounts can lead to full system compromise and data breaches.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the official security patches released by PHP-Fusion developers, implementing proper input validation and sanitization measures, and conducting comprehensive security assessments of their web applications. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws, and corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol manipulation. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious parameter patterns in administrative interfaces. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar flaws in other components of the web application stack. The incident underscores the critical importance of proper input validation and the principle of least privilege in web application security design, as the vulnerability could have been prevented through robust parameter sanitization and proper database access controls.