CVE-2008-6486
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 · uneditedPHP remote file inclusion vulnerability in slideshow_uploadvideo.content.php in SharedLog, when register_globals is enabled, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code via a URL in the GLOBALS[root_dir] parameter.
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 confidencePHP remote file inclusion vulnerability in SharedLog's slideshow_uploadvideo.content.php allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code via the GLOBALS[root_dir] parameter when register_globals is enabled. This is a classic RFI vector where user-controlled input in a global variable is directly used in a file inclusion operation.
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 dataall versionsCVSS 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
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
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 SharedLog installationSearch the web root for SharedLog files, particularly look for directories named 'sharedlog' or 'SharedLog' and identify the slideshow_uploadvideo.content.php file within the application structure.Affected if The application is present and the vulnerable PHP file exists in the web-accessible directory.
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Verify PHP register_globals settingCheck the active php.ini configuration file (typically located at /etc/php.ini, /etc/php/*/php.ini, or shown via phpinfo()) for the 'register_globals' directive. Alternatively, create a PHP info page or check if one exists to view this setting.Affected if register_globals is set to 'On' - this is the critical condition required for the vulnerability to be exploitable.
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Check PHP versionRun 'php -v' from command line or check the PHP version displayed on a phpinfo() page. PHP 5.4 and later removed register_globals entirely.Affected if PHP version is below 5.4, making register_globals potentially available to be enabled.
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Inspect the vulnerable code patternOpen slideshow_uploadvideo.content.php and search for patterns like 'include($GLOBALS[root_dir]' or 'require($GLOBALS[root_dir]' that use the GLOBALS array without sanitization in include/require statements.Affected if The file contains direct file inclusion using $GLOBALS['root_dir'] without validation, and register_globals is enabled.
A user is affected if SharedLog is installed, the vulnerable slideshow_uploadvideo.content.php file exists, and PHP has register_globals enabled (or PHP version is below 5.4 where register_globals could be enabled).
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 dataDisable register_globals in php.ini (set to Off) and/or patch the affected PHP file to validate and sanitize the root_dir parameter before using it in any include/require statements. Upgrading to PHP 5.4+ also eliminates this attack surface since register_globals was removed.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2008-6486 — 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-2008-6486 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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- 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
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