CRLF Injection Vulnerability in phpMyAdmin 5.0.2
Summary
DEBIAN-CVE-2020-11441: phpMyAdmin 5.0.2 allows CRLF injection, as demonstrated by %0D%0Astring%0D%0A inputs to login form fields causing CRLF sequences to be reflected on an error page. Affects phpmyadmin versions 4:5.0.4+dfsg2-2 – 4:5.2.2-really5.2.2+20250121+dfsg-1. No fix is published. 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 a user-friendly way to perform database operations such as creating, modifying, and deleting databases and tables. The tool is popular among developers and database administrators for its ease of use and extensive feature set. However, phpMyAdmin 5.0.2 has been identified to have a CRLF (Carriage Return Line Feed) injection vulnerability, which could potentially allow attackers to manipulate HTTP responses.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability arises from improper handling of user inputs in the login form fields of phpMyAdmin 5.0.2. Specifically, the application does not adequately sanitize inputs, allowing for CRLF sequences to be injected into error pages. This could lead to various attacks, including HTTP response splitting, which can be exploited to perform phishing attacks or to manipulate the content delivered to users. The vendor has acknowledged the issue but states that they do not see anything specifically exploitable, which may downplay the potential risks associated with this vulnerability.
How To Fix
No fixed version is published for this vulnerability.
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Workaround
As a temporary workaround, users can implement input validation on the client-side to filter out CRLF characters before submitting the login form. This can be done using JavaScript as follows: 'document.getElementById("loginForm").onsubmit = function() {
var inputFields =
document.
querySelectorAll("input[type='text'], input[type='password']");
for (
var i = 0;
i < inputFields.length; i++) { if (inputFields[i].
value.includes('\r') || inputFields[i].value.includes('\n')) { alert('Invalid input detected.');
return false; } } };'. This script checks for CRLF characters and prevents form submission if they are found.
Conclusion
The CRLF injection vulnerability in phpMyAdmin 5.0.2 poses a significant risk to users if left unaddressed. It is crucial to update to the latest version of the software and implement input validation as a temporary measure. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in monitoring and alerting for such vulnerabilities in real-time.
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FAQ
CRLF injection is a type of security vulnerability that allows an attacker to inject carriage return and line feed characters into a web application, potentially manipulating HTTP responses.
You can check if your phpMyAdmin installation is affected by using tools like Vulert, which monitors open-source vulnerabilities in your software without requiring code access.
If exploited, this vulnerability could lead to HTTP response splitting, allowing attackers to deliver malicious content or perform phishing attacks on users.
Yes, users are encouraged to update to the latest version of phpMyAdmin to mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability.
You can use Vulert's playground to monitor your application for vulnerabilities by simply uploading your manifest file like package-lock.json.
References
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