CVE-2021-46709 in phpLiteAdmin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/14/2022
phpLiteAdmin through 1.9.8.2 allows XSS via the index.php newRows parameter (aka num or number).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/16/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-46709 represents a cross-site scripting flaw within phpLiteAdmin version 1.9.8.2 and earlier, specifically affecting the index.php script's handling of the newRows parameter. This parameter is alternatively known as num or number and is utilized within the application's user interface to control the number of rows displayed during database operations. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before rendering it within the web page context. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is a critical security weakness that enables attackers to inject malicious client-side scripts into web applications viewed by other users. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it operates through a parameter that is commonly used in database administration interfaces where legitimate users might interact with the application during routine operations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious payload containing script tags or other malicious code within the newRows parameter value. When the phpLiteAdmin application processes this parameter without adequate sanitization, the malicious code gets embedded into the HTML response sent to the victim's browser. The XSS vulnerability is classified as reflected since the malicious input is immediately reflected back in the application's response without being stored. This makes the attack particularly effective for phishing campaigns or session hijacking attempts where an attacker can craft a URL containing the malicious payload that, when clicked by a victim, executes the attacker's script in the victim's browser context. The vulnerability impacts all users of the affected phpLiteAdmin versions and can be exploited by both authenticated and unauthenticated attackers depending on the application's access controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive information, redirect users to malicious websites, or even perform actions on behalf of authenticated users if they have sufficient privileges within the application. The consequences are particularly severe in environments where phpLiteAdmin is used for database administration tasks that involve sensitive data handling, as attackers could potentially access or manipulate database contents through more sophisticated attacks that chain this XSS vulnerability with other exploitation techniques. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the application's user interface and can lead to complete compromise of user sessions, especially when combined with other attack vectors. Organizations using this application should be particularly concerned about potential data breaches or unauthorized access to database resources that could occur through this vulnerability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-46709 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected phpLiteAdmin versions to the latest stable release that addresses this XSS vulnerability. Organizations should implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms to sanitize all user-supplied data before rendering it in web responses. The application should employ Content Security Policy headers to limit the sources from which scripts can be executed, and implement proper parameter validation to reject or escape malicious payloads. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious parameter values being submitted to the application, and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the application stack. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1566.001 for Phishing, highlighting the potential for both automated exploitation and social engineering attacks that could leverage this flaw. System administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls to provide an additional layer of protection against exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability.