CVE-2024-0359: Simple Hotel Reservation System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2024-0359 Overview

A critical SQL Injection vulnerability has been identified in code-projects Simple Online Hotel Reservation System version 1.0. This vulnerability exists in the login.php file, where the manipulation of the username and password parameters allows attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. The flaw enables remote attackers to bypass authentication, extract sensitive data from the database, and potentially gain complete control over the underlying database server.

Critical Impact

This SQL Injection vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote attackers to bypass login authentication and potentially compromise the entire database, including customer personal information and payment details stored in the hotel reservation system.

Affected Products

• code-projects Simple Online Hotel Reservation System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• January 10, 2024 - CVE-2024-0359 published to NVD
• November 21, 2024 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-0359

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command), commonly known as SQL Injection. The login.php file in the Simple Online Hotel Reservation System fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input in the username and password parameters before incorporating them into SQL queries.

When a user submits credentials through the login form, the application directly concatenates these values into the SQL query without proper validation or parameterization. This allows an attacker to manipulate the query structure by injecting SQL syntax through these input fields. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring any prior authentication or user interaction, making it particularly dangerous for internet-facing deployments.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the lack of input validation and the use of unsanitized user input in SQL queries. The application directly incorporates the username and password form fields into database queries without using prepared statements, parameterized queries, or adequate input filtering. This represents a fundamental secure coding failure that allows attackers to break out of the intended query context.

Attack Vector

The attack can be initiated remotely by any unauthenticated attacker with network access to the vulnerable application. By crafting specially formatted input containing SQL metacharacters and commands, an attacker can manipulate the login query to bypass authentication entirely, extract data from the database, modify or delete records, or in some configurations, execute operating system commands. The exploit details have been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of active exploitation. Technical analysis is available in the GitHub SQL Injection Analysis document.

The attack exploits the login form by injecting SQL syntax through the username or password fields. A typical attack payload would inject characters that close the original query and append malicious SQL commands to bypass authentication checks. For detailed exploitation techniques and proof-of-concept examples, refer to the VulDB entry #250126.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-0359

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL error messages appearing in application logs or error responses
• Login attempts containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, double dashes, semicolons, or UNION keywords
• Database query logs showing unexpected queries or authentication bypasses
• Multiple failed or suspicious login attempts from the same IP address targeting the login.php endpoint

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in login requests
• Configure intrusion detection systems to alert on SQL injection signatures targeting authentication endpoints
• Monitor web server access logs for requests to login.php containing encoded or plaintext SQL injection payloads
• Deploy application-layer monitoring to detect anomalous database query patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for all authentication attempts and database queries
• Set up alerts for any SQL error messages returned to users or logged by the application
• Monitor database audit logs for unauthorized access patterns or data extraction attempts
• Implement real-time log analysis to correlate suspicious login activity with database query anomalies

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-0359

Immediate Actions Required

• Immediately restrict network access to the Simple Online Hotel Reservation System to trusted IP addresses only
• Place the application behind a Web Application Firewall (WAF) configured with SQL injection protection rules
• Conduct a thorough audit of database access logs to identify any potential unauthorized access or data exfiltration
• Consider taking the application offline until a proper fix can be implemented

Patch Information

No official vendor patch is currently available for this vulnerability. Organizations using the Simple Online Hotel Reservation System 1.0 should implement the workarounds below and consider migrating to an alternative solution with active security support. Monitor the VulDB CTI entry for updates on remediation guidance.

Workarounds

• Implement input validation on the server side to reject any input containing SQL metacharacters in the username and password fields
• Modify the application code to use prepared statements or parameterized queries for all database interactions
• Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF with strict SQL injection filtering rules in front of the application
• Limit database user privileges to the minimum required for application functionality
• Implement network segmentation to restrict database server access from the web application only

# Configuration example - Apache ModSecurity WAF rules for SQL injection protection
# Add to httpd.conf or .htaccess
SecRuleEngine On
SecRule ARGS "@detectSQLi" "id:1001,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'SQL Injection Detected'"
SecRule REQUEST_URI "login\.php" "id:1002,phase:1,chain,deny,status:403"
SecRule ARGS:username|ARGS:password "@rx (?i:(\%27)|(\')|(\-\-)|(\%23)|(#)|(union)|(select))" "msg:'SQL Injection in Login'"