CVE-2006-6998
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedinstall/loader_help.php in Headstart Solutions DeskPRO allows remote attackers to obtain configuration information via a q=phpinfo QUERY_STRING, which calls the phpinfo function.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe install/loader_help.php file in Headstart Solutions DeskPRO contains a vulnerability where passing q=phpinfo in the QUERY_STRING triggers the phpinfo() function, exposing detailed PHP configuration information including version numbers, loaded extensions, server paths, and environment variables. This information disclosure can aid attackers in reconnaissance for further exploitation.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 2.0.0= 2.0.1CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm DeskPRO installation and versionLocate the DeskPRO installation directory and check for version files or examine the application banner. Look for version indicators in the main directory or in a VERSION file.Affected if The installed version is 2.0.0 or 2.0.1
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Verify install/loader_help.php existsCheck if the file install/loader_help.php exists in the web root or application directory.Affected if The file install/loader_help.php is present on the server
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Test for phpinfo() disclosure vulnerabilitySend an HTTP request to install/loader_help.php with the query string 'q=phpinfo' (e.g., GET /install/loader_help.php?q=phpinfo). Inspect the response for PHP configuration output including version numbers, loaded extensions, and server paths.Affected if The response contains phpinfo() output showing PHP version and configuration details
A user is affected if they have DeskPRO version 2.0.0 or 2.0.1 installed with the install/loader_help.php file present and accessible, and the q=phpinfo parameter triggers phpinfo() output.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataRemove the entire install/ directory from production deployments, or modify loader_help.php to remove the phpinfo() call. Restrict access to any remaining installation scripts.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2006-6998 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2006-6998 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data