Critical CSRF Vulnerability in phpMyAdmin: SQL Operations at Risk
Summary
CVE-2018-19969: phpMyAdmin 4.7.x and 4.8.x versions prior to 4.8.4 are affected by a series of CSRF flaws. Affects phpmyadmin across 2 version ranges.
< 4:4.9.1+dfsg1-2
>= 9d6ac04ae8cd7064c28c93a6a949cb5324899593, < 56ba19808f020fa8ac63366d450c3928564a91b8
Fixed in 4:4.9.1+dfsg1-2. 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 allows users to perform various database operations such as creating, modifying, and deleting databases and tables. Despite its powerful features, phpMyAdmin has been found to be vulnerable to a series of Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) flaws, particularly in versions 4.7.x and 4.8.x prior to 4.8.4, which can lead to unauthorized SQL operations.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability arises from the lack of proper CSRF protection in phpMyAdmin versions 4.7.x and 4.8.x before 4.8.4. By tricking a user into clicking on a malicious link, an attacker can execute harmful SQL commands without the user's consent. This can result in severe consequences, including renaming databases, creating or deleting tables, modifying user accounts, and even terminating SQL processes. The technical implications are significant, as the attacker can manipulate the database in various harmful ways, leading to data loss or corruption.
How To Fix
Minimum fixed version
4:4.9.1+dfsg1-2
This is the first release that contains the fix.
sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade phpmyadminTip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary workaround, users can limit access to the phpMyAdmin interface by implementing IP whitelisting or using additional authentication methods to restrict unauthorized access until the upgrade is completed.
Conclusion
The CSRF vulnerability in phpMyAdmin poses significant risks to database integrity and security. Users are strongly advised to upgrade to the latest version to mitigate these risks. Implementing additional security measures can also help protect against potential exploitation until the upgrade is completed.
See every vulnerability recorded for phpmyadmin →
FAQ
CSRF, or Cross-Site Request Forgery, is an attack that tricks a user into executing unwanted actions on a web application in which they are authenticated. In phpMyAdmin, this can lead to unauthorized database modifications.
The vulnerability affects phpMyAdmin versions 4.7.x and 4.8.x prior to 4.8.4.
An attacker can perform harmful SQL operations such as renaming databases, creating or deleting tables, and modifying user accounts, which can lead to data loss or corruption.
You can use Vulert, which allows you to monitor and alert for open-source vulnerabilities in your software. You can check your application using the Vulert playground without any signup.
The CVSS score for this vulnerability is 8.8, indicating a high severity level.
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