CVE-2014-9440 in phpMyRecipes
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in browse.php in phpMyRecipes 1.2.2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the category parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/30/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-9440 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the phpMyRecipes 1.2.2 web application, specifically affecting the browse.php script. This security weakness resides in the improper handling of user-supplied input through the category parameter, which creates an avenue for malicious actors to manipulate the underlying database queries. The vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-89, which defines SQL injection as the insertion of malicious SQL code into input fields, allowing unauthorized access to database resources and potential data compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the browse.php script processes the category parameter without adequate input sanitization or parameterized query construction. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious input that alters the intended SQL query structure, enabling them to execute arbitrary database commands. This flaw allows for unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion operations, potentially leading to complete database compromise. The vulnerability is classified as remote, meaning attackers can exploit it without requiring physical access to the system, making it particularly dangerous in web-facing environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable attackers to escalate privileges within the database environment, extract sensitive information, and potentially establish persistent access points. The phpMyRecipes application, being a recipe management system, could expose personal user data, including login credentials, personal notes, and potentially confidential information stored in the database. This vulnerability creates a pathway for attackers to perform unauthorized database operations that could result in data loss, service disruption, or even system compromise. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability affects a web application with database connectivity, allowing for extensive data manipulation capabilities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-9440 should focus on implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection attacks. Organizations should immediately update to the latest version of phpMyRecipes where this vulnerability has been patched, as the maintainers have addressed the issue in subsequent releases. The implementation of prepared statements or parameterized queries should be enforced throughout the application codebase to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring. Additionally, input sanitization mechanisms should be deployed to filter and validate all user-supplied data before processing. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual database access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190, which describes the exploitation of vulnerabilities in web applications, and represents a classic example of how insufficient input validation can lead to severe database compromise.