CVE-2016-9847: Medium severity phpmyadmin vulnerability

Published Dec 11, 2016
·
Updated

An issue was discovered in phpMyAdmin. When the user does not specify a blowfishsecret key for encrypting cookies, phpMyAdmin generates one at runtime. A vulnerability was reported where the way this value is created uses a weak algorithm. This could allow an attacker to determine the user's blowfishsecret and potentially decrypt their cookies. All 4.6.x versions (prior to 4.6.5), 4.4.x versions (prior to 4.4.15.9), and 4.0.x versions (prior to 4.0.10.18) are affected.

Affected Software

66 affected componentsFixes available
composer/phpmyadmin/phpmyadmin>=4.0<4.0.10.18
4.0.10.18
composer/phpmyadmin/phpmyadmin>=4.4<4.4.15.9
4.4.15.9
composer/phpmyadmin/phpmyadmin>=4.6<4.6.5
4.6.5
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.6.0
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.6.1
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.6.2
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.6.3
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.6.4
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.0
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.1
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.2
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.3
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.4
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.4.1
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.4.2
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.5
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.6
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.7
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.8
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.9
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.10
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.10.1
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.10.2
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.10.3
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.10.4
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.10.5
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.10.6
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.10.7
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.10.8
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.10.9
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.10.10
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.10.11
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.10.12
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.10.13
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.10.14
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.10.15
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.10.16
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.0.10.17
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.0
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.1
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.1.1
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.2
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.3
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.4
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.5
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.6
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.6.1
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.7
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.8
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.9
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.10
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.11
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.12
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.13
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.13.1
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.14
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.14.1
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.15
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.15.1
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.15.2
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.15.3
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.15.4
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.15.5
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.15.6
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.15.7
phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin=4.4.15.8

Remediation

Patch Available

https://www.phpmyadmin.net/security/PMASA-2016-58

Event History

Dec 11, 2016
CVE Published
via MITRE·02:00 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·02:00 AM
Description
May 17, 2022
Advisory Published
02:36 AM

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2016-9847?

CVE-2016-9847 is considered a moderate severity vulnerability due to the weak algorithm used for generating blowfish_secret keys.

2

How do I fix CVE-2016-9847?

To fix CVE-2016-9847, ensure to specify a strong blowfish_secret key in the phpMyAdmin configuration.

3

What versions of phpMyAdmin are affected by CVE-2016-9847?

CVE-2016-9847 affects phpMyAdmin versions from 4.0.0 to 4.6.4.

4

What type of attack can exploit CVE-2016-9847?

An attacker could exploit CVE-2016-9847 to infer the user's blowfish_secret key, potentially compromising session security.

5

Is there a patch available for CVE-2016-9847?

Yes, updating to a version of phpMyAdmin later than 4.6.4 will resolve the vulnerability introduced in CVE-2016-9847.

Company

Resources

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203