CVE-2019-5151 in YouPHPTube
Summary
by MITRE
An exploitable SQL injection vulnerability exist in YouPHPTube 7.7. A specially crafted unauthenticated HTTP request can cause a SQL injection, possibly leading to denial of service, exfiltration of the database and local file inclusion, which could potentially further lead to code execution. An attacker can send an HTTP request to trigger this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/01/2024
The CVE-2019-5151 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw in YouPHPTube version 7.7, a popular open source video management system. This vulnerability resides in the application's handling of user input within database queries, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate the underlying database structure without authentication. The flaw specifically manifests when the application processes HTTP requests containing crafted SQL payloads, allowing attackers to bypass normal authentication mechanisms and directly interact with the database layer. The vulnerability's severity is amplified by its unauthenticated nature, meaning any external party can exploit it without requiring valid credentials or privileged access to the system. This characteristic places the entire database infrastructure at risk, as the vulnerability can be triggered through simple HTTP requests that do not require any prior system access or user privileges.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of input parameters that are directly incorporated into SQL query constructions without proper sanitization or parameterization. When a malicious HTTP request is sent to the vulnerable YouPHPTube instance, the application's query processing logic fails to properly escape or validate user-supplied data before incorporating it into database operations. This lack of input validation creates a direct injection point where attackers can craft SQL commands that execute within the database context, potentially allowing for data extraction, modification, or deletion. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data manipulation as it can enable attackers to perform operations that may lead to complete system compromise. The injection point likely exists within the application's search functionality, user authentication mechanisms, or parameter processing routines where user input is directly concatenated into SQL statements rather than being properly parameterized.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability are severe and multifaceted, potentially leading to complete database compromise and system exploitation. Attackers can leverage the SQL injection to extract sensitive information including user credentials, personal data, and system configuration details stored within the database. The vulnerability also enables denial of service conditions by allowing attackers to execute resource-intensive queries that can overwhelm database connections or consume system resources. Furthermore, the ability to read local files through the database layer opens possibilities for local file inclusion attacks, where attackers can access system files, configuration files, or application source code that may contain additional sensitive information or vulnerabilities. This multi-layered impact makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks, potentially leading to full system compromise and code execution capabilities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol manipulation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-5151 require immediate action to address the root cause through proper input validation and parameterized query implementation. Organizations should upgrade to patched versions of YouPHPTube immediately, as the vulnerability has been addressed in subsequent releases through proper sanitization of user input and implementation of prepared statements. System administrators should implement network-level protections including firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious HTTP requests that may indicate exploitation attempts. Database access controls should be reviewed and restricted to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation, with proper privilege separation ensuring that database accounts used by the application have minimal required permissions. Additionally, regular security auditing of input handling routines, implementation of web application firewalls, and comprehensive logging of database activities can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The remediation process should also include thorough code review of all input processing functions to ensure that similar vulnerabilities do not exist in other parts of the application or related systems, following industry best practices for secure coding and database interaction.