CVE-2016-6611 in phpMyAdmin
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in phpMyAdmin. A specially crafted database and/or table name can be used to trigger an SQL injection attack through the export functionality. All 4.6.x versions (prior to 4.6.4), 4.4.x versions (prior to 4.4.15.8), and 4.0.x versions (prior to 4.0.10.17) are affected.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/05/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6611 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within phpMyAdmin that exploits the export functionality to manipulate database operations. This security weakness affects multiple version lines of the popular database administration tool, specifically targeting versions 4.6.x before 4.6.4, 4.4.x before 4.4.15.8, and 4.0.x before 4.0.10.17. The flaw arises from insufficient input validation and sanitization when processing database and table names during export operations, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject arbitrary SQL commands into the underlying database system. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-89 category of SQL Injection, which is classified as a high-risk vulnerability in the Common Weakness Enumeration framework and is particularly concerning given phpMyAdmin's widespread use in database management environments.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious database or table names containing specially formatted SQL injection payloads. When these crafted names are processed through the export functionality, the application fails to properly escape or validate the input before incorporating it into SQL queries executed against the target database. This allows attackers to manipulate the export process to execute unauthorized database commands, potentially leading to data exfiltration, modification of database contents, or even complete database compromise. The attack vector specifically targets the export mechanism where phpMyAdmin constructs SQL queries based on user-provided identifiers, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through normal administrative operations without requiring elevated privileges.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-6611 extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable attackers to escalate their privileges within the database environment and potentially move laterally through network infrastructure. Organizations using affected phpMyAdmin versions face significant risk of unauthorized data access, database corruption, and potential system compromise when attackers exploit this vulnerability. The widespread adoption of phpMyAdmin across various hosting environments and web applications means that exploitation could affect numerous organizations simultaneously, particularly those with less robust security monitoring in place. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol manipulation and T1046 for network service discovery, as attackers can use the SQL injection to gather information about the underlying database structure and potentially identify other vulnerable systems within the network.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of phpMyAdmin, specifically versions 4.6.4, 4.4.15.8, or 4.0.10.17 respectively. Additional protective measures include implementing web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious export requests, restricting database user privileges to minimize potential damage from successful attacks, and conducting thorough security audits of database access controls. Network segmentation and monitoring of export functionality usage can help detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing automated patch management processes to ensure rapid deployment of security updates across all affected systems, as this vulnerability represents a significant threat to database integrity and confidentiality in environments where phpMyAdmin is deployed without proper access controls or monitoring mechanisms in place.