Symlink Exposure in phpMyAdmin
Summary
CVE-2016-6613: An issue was discovered in phpMyAdmin. Affects phpmyadmin across 61 version ranges.
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Fixed in 4.4.15.8-r0. How to fix ↓
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Background
phpMyAdmin is a popular open-source tool for managing MySQL databases. It provides a web-based interface that allows users to perform various database management tasks. The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6613 affects multiple versions of phpMyAdmin, including 4.6.x, 4.4.x, and 4.0.x. This vulnerability allows an attacker to exploit a symlink on disk to access files that are readable by phpMyAdmin but not by the user. This can lead to unauthorized exposure of sensitive information.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability arises from a flaw in the handling of symlinks by phpMyAdmin. By creating a specially crafted symlink on the server, an attacker can trick phpMyAdmin into exposing files that should be inaccessible to the user. This can include sensitive configuration files or other data that may contain confidential information. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 5.3, indicating a moderate severity.
How To Fix
Minimum fixed version
4.4.15.8-r0
This is the first release that contains the fix.
sudo apk add --upgrade phpmyadminTip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
If updating phpMyAdmin is not immediately feasible, users can implement a workaround by ensuring that the web server's user does not have read access to any files that should be protected. This can be achieved by adjusting file permissions or using other access control mechanisms to restrict access to sensitive files.
Conclusion
The symlink exposure vulnerability in phpMyAdmin can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive files, potentially resulting in data breaches or other security incidents. It is crucial to update phpMyAdmin to the latest version and implement proper access controls to mitigate the risk. For further assistance or support in addressing this vulnerability, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for phpmyadmin →
FAQ
phpMyAdmin is a web-based tool for managing MySQL databases. It provides an intuitive interface for performing various database management tasks.
The vulnerability allows an attacker to create a symlink on the server that points to a file readable by phpMyAdmin but not by the user. phpMyAdmin, unaware of the symlink, exposes the contents of the file to the user, potentially exposing sensitive information.
The symlink exposure vulnerability can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive files, such as configuration files or other data containing confidential information. This can result in data breaches, unauthorized modifications, or other security incidents.
To protect against this vulnerability, it is recommended to update phpMyAdmin to the latest version that includes the necessary patches. Additionally, ensuring proper file permissions and access controls can help mitigate the risk.
If immediate updating of phpMyAdmin is not possible, users can implement a workaround by restricting the web server's user's access to sensitive files. This can be achieved through file permissions or other access control mechanisms.
Related vulnerabilities
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