Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    Malicious Copy of MySQL Tool Distributed Through SourceForge Mirror

    Written by

    Brian Prince
    Published September 26, 2012
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      A compromised copy of the MySQL tool phpMyAdmin containing a backdoor was being served to users from a SourceForge mirror based in Korea.

      SourceForge is a popular repository for open-source software. In a blog post, SourceForge explained how the malicious copy of phpMyAdmin–an administration tool for the MySQL open-source database–was downloaded roughly 400 times before the situation was discovered. Attackers could use the backdoor hidden in the phpMyAdmin tool to execute arbitrary commands.

      “On September 25th, SourceForge became aware of a corrupted copy of phpMyAdmin being served from the ‘cdnetworks-kr-1’ mirror in Korea,” according to SourceForge. “This mirror was immediately removed from rotation. The mirror provider has confirmed the attack vector has been identified and is limited to their mirror; with [the] exploit having occurred on or around Sept. 22nd.”

      The phpMyAdmin project sent direct emails to users who downloaded the compromised copy that were identified through SourceForge logs, SourceForge noted.

      The phpMyAdmin project classified the vulnerability–which was discovered by the Tencent Security Response Center–as critical, noting that only the phpMyAdmin-3.5.2.2-all-languages.zip is known to be affected and users should check to see if their download contains a file named server_sync.php.

      “It is our recommendation that downloaders of this corrupted file (which contains ‘server_sync.php’) assess risk and take action as they deem appropriate, including deletion of the corrupted file and downloading a fresh copy,” according to SourceForge. “Downloaders are at risk only if a corrupt copy of this software was obtained, installed on a server, and serving was enabled. Examination of web logs and other server data should help confirm whether this backdoor was accessed.”

      One of the most troubling aspects of this is that the application that was targeted, phpMyAdmin, is one of the most popular applications for managing MySQL, said Dan Kuykendall, co-CEO and CTO of application security firm NT OBJECTives.

      “With that exploit installed, it basically allows the bad guy full access to the person’s database server,” he said. “That’s pretty scary.”

      He recommended organizations compare checksums with the original source to check the validity of a file downloaded from a mirror server.

      “Nobody ever does that,” he said. “Few organizations actually go through that step to confirm that the binary is valid according to the original source. And that’s really where I think a lot of the pieces of the breakdown [are].”

      Qualys CTO Wolfgang Kandek agreed that the process of manually checking the published MD5 checksum against the current MD5 hash of a downloaded file is “tedious” and often skipped.

      “The best thing to do is to select a vendor that provides all software in a packaged and verified format,” he told eWEEK. “If you have a vendor who doesn’t support a certain software, then be sure not to skip your own verification, and double check the integrity of the software with the help of the original site. In this case, check with PHPmyadmin.net, which has the MD5 checksums listed.”

      Brian Prince
      Brian Prince

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×