Denial of Service Vulnerability in phpMyAdmin - CVE-2016-9863
Summary
ALPINE-CVE-2016-9863: An issue was discovered in phpMyAdmin. Affects phpmyadmin versions < 4.6.5.2-r0. Fixed in 4.6.5.2-r0. How to fix ↓
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Background
phpMyAdmin is a widely-used open-source tool for managing MySQL databases through a web interface. It provides features such as database creation, modification, and administration, making it a popular choice among developers and database administrators. However, certain versions of phpMyAdmin are vulnerable to a Denial of Service (DoS) attack, particularly those prior to version 4.6.5.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-9863 arises from the handling of large requests in the table partitioning function of phpMyAdmin. When a user sends an excessively large request, it can overwhelm the server, leading to a Denial of Service condition. This can disrupt normal operations, making the application unresponsive and potentially affecting other services hosted on the same server.
How To Fix
Minimum fixed version
4.6.5.2-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
As a temporary workaround, you can limit the size of requests that phpMyAdmin accepts by configuring your web server settings to restrict the maximum request body size. For example, in Nginx, you can set the following directive in your server block:
client_max_body_size 1M;
Conclusion
CVE-2016-9863 represents a significant vulnerability in phpMyAdmin that can lead to Denial of Service attacks. It is crucial for users of affected versions to update to the latest patched version to ensure the security and stability of their applications.
See every vulnerability recorded for phpmyadmin →
FAQ
CVE-2016-9863 is a vulnerability in phpMyAdmin that allows for Denial of Service attacks due to the handling of large requests.
All versions of phpMyAdmin in the 4.6.x series prior to 4.6.5 are affected by this vulnerability.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without needing to sign up.
The CVSS score for CVE-2016-9863 is 7.5, indicating a high severity level.
If immediate updates are not possible, consider implementing request size limits as a temporary workaround to mitigate the risk of a DoS attack.
References
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