CVE-2019-25453: phpMoAdmin XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2019-25453 Overview

phpMoAdmin 1.1.5 contains a reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to inject malicious scripts by manipulating the newdb parameter. Attackers can craft URLs with JavaScript payloads in the newdb parameter of moadmin.php to execute arbitrary code in users' browsers when they visit the malicious link.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can execute arbitrary JavaScript in victim browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further compromise of MongoDB administration interfaces.

Affected Products

• phpMoAdmin 1.1.5

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-20 - CVE CVE-2019-25453 published to NVD
• 2026-02-24 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2019-25453

Vulnerability Analysis

This reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability exists in phpMoAdmin, a web-based MongoDB administration tool. The application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input in the newdb parameter before reflecting it back in the HTTP response. This allows attackers to inject arbitrary JavaScript code that executes in the context of authenticated user sessions.

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation), which represents a fundamental input validation failure. Since phpMoAdmin provides administrative access to MongoDB databases, successful exploitation could allow attackers to perform privileged database operations through a compromised administrator's session.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation and output encoding in the moadmin.php script. When processing the newdb parameter, the application directly reflects user input into the HTML response without proper sanitization or contextual output encoding. This allows script tags and other HTML/JavaScript constructs to be rendered and executed by the victim's browser.

Attack Vector

The attack requires network access and user interaction. An attacker must craft a malicious URL containing a JavaScript payload in the newdb parameter and convince a victim to click the link. When a user with an active phpMoAdmin session visits the crafted URL, the injected script executes with the privileges of that user's browser session.

The exploitation technique involves embedding malicious JavaScript within the newdb parameter value in requests to moadmin.php. When the server reflects this input back to the client without proper encoding, the browser interprets and executes the injected script. For detailed technical information and proof-of-concept examples, see the Exploit-DB #46082 entry.

Detection Methods for CVE-2019-25453

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual URL patterns in web server logs containing <script> tags or JavaScript event handlers in the newdb parameter
• HTTP requests to moadmin.php with encoded JavaScript payloads (e.g., %3Cscript%3E)
• Browser console errors or alerts from unexpected JavaScript execution on phpMoAdmin pages

Detection Strategies

• Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block requests containing script tags or JavaScript event handlers in URL parameters
• Configure intrusion detection systems to alert on HTTP requests with common XSS patterns targeting moadmin.php
• Enable detailed web server access logging and monitor for suspicious parameter values

Monitoring Recommendations

• Review web server access logs for requests to moadmin.php with anomalous newdb parameter values
• Monitor for phishing campaigns or suspicious emails containing links to your phpMoAdmin installation
• Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers and monitor for CSP violation reports

How to Mitigate CVE-2019-25453

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to phpMoAdmin to trusted IP addresses only
• Implement web application firewall rules to filter XSS payloads targeting the newdb parameter
• Consider disabling phpMoAdmin until a patched version is available or replace with an alternative MongoDB administration tool
• Educate users about the risks of clicking untrusted links while authenticated to administrative interfaces

Patch Information

No official vendor patch information is currently available. The PHPmoAdmin Official Site should be monitored for security updates. Organizations are advised to review the VulnCheck Advisory on PHPmoAdmin for the latest remediation guidance.

Workarounds

• Place phpMoAdmin behind a reverse proxy with input filtering capabilities to strip potentially malicious characters from the newdb parameter
• Implement IP-based access controls to limit phpMoAdmin access to specific administrative workstations
• Deploy Content Security Policy headers with strict script-src directives to mitigate the impact of XSS attacks
• Consider using an alternative MongoDB administration tool until the vulnerability is addressed

# Example: Restrict access to phpMoAdmin via Apache .htaccess
<Files "moadmin.php">
    Require ip 192.168.1.0/24
    Require ip 10.0.0.0/8
</Files>