CVE-2015-1441 in Piwigo
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in Piwigo before 2.5.6, 2.6.x before 2.6.5, and 2.7.x before 2.7.3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2018
The CVE-2015-1441 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw discovered in the Piwigo photo gallery software, affecting multiple version ranges including 2.5.6 and earlier, 2.6.x versions prior to 2.6.5, and 2.7.x versions before 2.7.3. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-89 category of SQL Injection, which is classified as a severe weakness in software security that allows attackers to manipulate database queries through malicious input. The vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the affected system, potentially leading to complete database compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive information. Piwigo, being a widely used open-source photo gallery management system, makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it affects numerous websites and applications that rely on this platform for image hosting and management.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the Piwigo application's database interaction mechanisms. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious input parameters that are directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper escaping or parameterization. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that multiple entry points within the application could be exploited, including but not limited to user input forms, API endpoints, or parameter handling functions. This broad attack surface increases the likelihood of successful exploitation and makes the vulnerability particularly challenging to defend against. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.005, which covers SQL injection attacks, and represents a classic example of how improper input handling can lead to database compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data theft, as it can lead to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive user information. Remote attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can potentially extract all database contents, including user credentials, personal information, and uploaded media files. The implications are severe for websites using Piwigo, as they may face data breaches, loss of user trust, and potential legal consequences. Additionally, attackers could modify or delete database records, leading to data corruption and service disruption. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not need physical access to the system, making it particularly dangerous for web applications. Organizations using affected versions of Piwigo face significant risk of unauthorized database access and potential data exfiltration, with the attack surface potentially extending to any user account or administrative function within the application.
The recommended mitigations for this vulnerability involve immediate upgrade to patched versions of Piwigo, specifically versions 2.5.6, 2.6.5, and 2.7.3 or later, which contain the necessary security fixes. Organizations should also implement proper input validation and parameterized queries to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other applications. The fix typically involves implementing proper sanitization of user inputs and using prepared statements or parameterized queries to ensure that user-supplied data cannot be interpreted as SQL commands. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts, and organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their Piwigo installations. This vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date software and following secure coding practices, particularly in database interaction components. The remediation process should also include reviewing and testing all database access points to ensure that similar injection vulnerabilities do not exist in other parts of the application stack.