PHP External Variable Modification
Weakness ID: 473 (Weakness Variant)Status: Draft
+ Description

Description Summary

A PHP application does not properly protect against the modification of variables from external sources, such as query parameters or cookies. This can expose the application to numerous weaknesses that would not exist otherwise.
+ Time of Introduction
  • Implementation
+ Applicable Platforms

Languages

PHP

+ Observed Examples
ReferenceDescription
CVE-2000-0860File upload allows arbitrary file read by setting hidden form variables to match internal variable names.
CVE-2001-0854Mistakenly trusts $PHP SELF variable to determine if include script was called by its parent.
CVE-2002-0764PHP remote file inclusion by modified assumed-immutable variable.
CVE-2001-1025Modify key variable when calling scripts that don't load a library that initializes it.
CVE-2003-0754Authentication bypass by modifying array used for authentication.
+ Potential Mitigations

Carefully identify which variables can be controlled or influenced by an external user, and consider adopting a naming convention to emphasize when externally modifiable variables are being used. An application should be reluctant to trust variables that have been initialized outside of its trust boundary. Ensure adequate checking is performed when relying on input from outside a trust boundary. Do not allow your application to run with register_globals enabled. If you implement a register_globals emulator, be extremely careful of variable extraction, dynamic evaluation, and similar issues, since weaknesses in your emulation could allow external variable modification to take place even without register_globals.

+ Relationships
NatureTypeIDNameView(s) this relationship pertains toView(s)
ChildOfWeakness BaseWeakness Base471Modification of Assumed-Immutable Data (MAID)
Development Concepts (primary)699
Research Concepts (primary)1000
CanPrecedeWeakness BaseWeakness Base98Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP File Inclusion')
Research Concepts1000
PeerOfWeakness VariantWeakness Variant616Incomplete Identification of Uploaded File Variables (PHP)
Research Concepts1000
+ Relationship Notes

This is a language-specific instance of Modification of Assumed-Immutable Data (MAID). This can be resultant from direct request (alternate path) issues. It can be primary to weaknesses such as PHP file inclusion, SQL injection, XSS, authentication bypass, and others.

+ Taxonomy Mappings
Mapped Taxonomy NameNode IDFitMapped Node Name
PLOVERPHP External Variable Modification
+ Related Attack Patterns
CAPEC-IDAttack Pattern Name
(CAPEC Version: 1.4)
77Manipulating User-Controlled Variables
+ Content History
Submissions
Submission DateSubmitterOrganizationSource
PLOVERExternally Mined
Modifications
Modification DateModifierOrganizationSource
2008-07-01Eric DalciCigitalExternal
updated Time of Introduction
2008-09-08CWE Content TeamMITREInternal
updated Relationships, Other Notes, Taxonomy Mappings
2009-12-28CWE Content TeamMITREInternal
updated Other Notes, Relationship Notes
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