CVE-2020-37156 Overview
CVE-2020-37156 is an authentication bypass vulnerability affecting BloodX 1.0, a blood bank management system. The vulnerability exists in the login.php file and allows remote attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms and gain unauthorized access to the application dashboard without providing valid credentials. This flaw is classified under CWE-288 (Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel).
Critical Impact
Attackers can completely bypass login authentication using a crafted SQL injection payload with '=''or' parameters, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive blood bank management functions and data.
Affected Products
- BloodX 1.0
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-02-11 - CVE-2020-37156 published to NVD
- 2026-02-12 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2020-37156
Vulnerability Analysis
This authentication bypass vulnerability allows attackers to circumvent the login mechanism in BloodX 1.0 by exploiting improper input validation in the login.php file. The application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into authentication queries, enabling attackers to manipulate the authentication logic through specially crafted payloads.
The vulnerability is network-accessible, requiring no authentication or user interaction to exploit. An attacker can gain unauthorized access to the administrative dashboard, potentially compromising the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive blood bank management data including donor records, blood inventory information, and patient data.
Root Cause
The root cause of this vulnerability is the lack of proper input validation and sanitization in the login authentication mechanism. The login.php script directly incorporates user-supplied values into authentication queries without proper parameterization or escaping, allowing SQL injection-style payloads to manipulate the authentication logic. This is a classic example of CWE-288, where an alternate authentication path exists due to improper handling of user input.
Attack Vector
The attack is conducted over the network by sending a crafted HTTP request to the login.php endpoint. The attacker submits a specially crafted payload containing '=''or' parameters in the username or password fields. This payload manipulates the underlying authentication query to always evaluate as true, bypassing credential verification entirely.
The exploitation requires:
- Network access to the BloodX application
- Knowledge of the login endpoint (login.php)
- A crafted payload designed to bypass authentication logic
When successful, the attacker gains full access to the application dashboard as an authenticated user, even without possessing valid credentials. For technical details and proof-of-concept information, see the Exploit-DB entry #47842 and the GitHub PoC Repository.
Detection Methods for CVE-2020-37156
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual or repeated login attempts with SQL injection patterns such as '=''or' in authentication parameters
- Successful dashboard access without corresponding valid authentication events in logs
- HTTP POST requests to login.php containing suspicious characters like single quotes, OR operators, or comment sequences
Detection Strategies
- Deploy web application firewalls (WAF) with rules to detect SQL injection patterns in login form submissions
- Implement application-level logging that captures all authentication attempts with full request parameters
- Monitor for anomalous access patterns to the dashboard without preceding successful authentication events
- Use intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common authentication bypass payloads
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose logging on the web server to capture all requests to login.php
- Set up alerts for repeated failed login attempts followed by successful dashboard access from the same IP
- Monitor for any access to administrative functions from unauthenticated sessions
How to Mitigate CVE-2020-37156
Immediate Actions Required
- Take the BloodX application offline or restrict access to trusted networks only until a fix can be implemented
- Implement a web application firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules as an interim measure
- Review access logs for signs of exploitation and identify any potentially compromised accounts
- Audit all user accounts and sessions for unauthorized access
Patch Information
No official vendor patch information is currently available for this vulnerability. Organizations using BloodX 1.0 should consider the workarounds below and evaluate alternative solutions. For additional details, refer to the Vulncheck Advisory.
Workarounds
- Implement prepared statements with parameterized queries in the login.php authentication logic
- Add input validation to reject special characters and SQL syntax in login fields
- Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF in front of the application with SQL injection filtering enabled
- Restrict network access to the application using firewall rules to limit exposure
# Example WAF rule for ModSecurity to block common SQL injection patterns
SecRule ARGS "@rx ('|--|;|\/\*|\*\/|or\s+1=1|'=''or)" \
"id:100001,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'SQL Injection attempt blocked'"
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
