CVE-2025-24530
📋 TL;DR
This is a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in phpMyAdmin's check tables feature. Attackers can inject malicious scripts via crafted table or database names, which execute when administrators view affected pages. All phpMyAdmin 5.x installations before version 5.2.2 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- phpMyAdmin
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Administrator session hijacking leading to full database compromise, data theft, or server takeover via subsequent attacks.
Likely Case
Session theft allowing unauthorized database access, data manipulation, or privilege escalation within phpMyAdmin.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if administrators use separate accounts with minimal privileges and proper session management.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access to phpMyAdmin with privileges to create or rename tables/databases.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 5.2.2
Vendor Advisory: https://www.phpmyadmin.net/security/PMASA-2025-1/
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Backup your phpMyAdmin configuration and databases. 2. Download phpMyAdmin 5.2.2 or later from the official website. 3. Replace your existing phpMyAdmin installation with the new version. 4. Verify functionality and clear browser caches.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable check tables feature
allRemove or restrict access to the check tables functionality to prevent exploitation.
# Edit phpMyAdmin configuration to disable feature
# Add to config.inc.php: $cfg['CheckTables'] = false;
Input validation via web application firewall
linuxImplement WAF rules to block malicious table/database names containing script tags or JavaScript.
# Example mod_security rule for Apache
SecRule ARGS "<script" "id:1001,deny,status:403"
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict phpMyAdmin access to trusted administrator IP addresses only
- Implement strict Content Security Policy headers to mitigate XSS impact
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check phpMyAdmin version via the interface or by examining the version file in the installation directory.Check Version:
grep -i 'version' /path/to/phpmyadmin/README | head -1Verify Fix Applied:
Confirm phpMyAdmin version is 5.2.2 or later and test the check tables feature with safe inputs.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual table/database names containing script tags or JavaScript in phpMyAdmin logs
- Multiple check table requests from single user sessions
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to check tables endpoint with suspicious parameters
- Unexpected JavaScript execution in phpMyAdmin responses
SIEM Query:
source="phpmyadmin.log" AND ("check table" OR "check tables") AND ("<script" OR "javascript:")