CVE-2017-1000018 in phpMyAdmin
Summary
by MITRE
phpMyAdmin 4.0, 4.4., and 4.6 are vulnerable to a DOS attack in the replication status by using a specially crafted table name
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/01/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1000018 affects phpMyAdmin versions 4.0, 4.4, and 4.6, specifically targeting the replication status functionality through manipulation of table names. This issue represents a denial of service condition that can be exploited by malicious actors to disrupt database operations and compromise system availability. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the replication status handling mechanism, where the application fails to properly sanitize or validate table names before processing them in the replication context. This weakness allows attackers to craft malicious table names that cause the phpMyAdmin interface to enter an infinite loop or consume excessive system resources when attempting to display replication status information.
The technical flaw manifests when phpMyAdmin processes replication status requests and encounters specially crafted table names that trigger unexpected behavior in the underlying database connection handling or status parsing routines. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-400 which covers "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption" and potentially CWE-665 which addresses "Improper Initialization." The flaw exists in the application's failure to implement proper bounds checking and input sanitization for table identifiers used in replication contexts, creating an opportunity for resource exhaustion attacks. When an attacker submits a malicious table name, the phpMyAdmin application attempts to process this information through database connection handlers that may not properly handle malformed inputs, leading to system resource depletion or application hang conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially affect database management workflows and system reliability. Organizations utilizing phpMyAdmin for database administration may experience complete service unavailability when attackers exploit this vulnerability, particularly in environments where replication monitoring is critical for database operations. The denial of service condition can persist until the application is manually restarted or the affected connection is terminated, creating operational downtime that may affect multiple users simultaneously. This vulnerability particularly impacts database administrators who rely on phpMyAdmin for monitoring replication status, as it directly compromises their ability to perform routine maintenance and troubleshooting activities. The attack vector requires minimal privileges and can be executed through standard web interface interactions, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where unauthorized access to database management interfaces is possible.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-1000018 should prioritize immediate patching of affected phpMyAdmin versions to the latest stable releases that contain the necessary fixes. Organizations should also implement network-level controls to restrict access to phpMyAdmin interfaces and ensure that only authorized personnel can access these management functions. Input validation should be strengthened at multiple layers including web application firewalls and application code level to prevent malformed table names from reaching the replication status processing routines. System monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual resource consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, and incident response procedures should be established to quickly address any suspected attacks. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1499.004 which covers "Endpoint Denial of Service" and T1071.004 which addresses "Application Layer Protocol: DNS" when considering the broader attack surface implications. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify similar weaknesses in other database management tools and web applications within the organization's infrastructure.