CVE-2024-0478: Fighting Cock Information System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2024-0478 Overview

A critical SQL Injection vulnerability has been identified in code-projects Fighting Cock Information System version 1.0. This vulnerability exists in the file /admin/pages/edit_chicken.php where the id parameter is not properly sanitized before being used in SQL queries. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database without authentication.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL Injection vulnerability to extract sensitive data, modify database contents, or potentially achieve remote code execution through database functionality. The vulnerability requires no authentication and can be exploited remotely over the network.

Affected Products

• Code-projects Fighting Cock Information System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-01-13 - CVE-2024-0478 published to NVD
• 2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-0478

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) occurs in the administrative interface of the Fighting Cock Information System. The vulnerable endpoint /admin/pages/edit_chicken.php accepts a user-controlled id parameter that is incorporated directly into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterized query implementation. This classic input validation flaw enables attackers to inject malicious SQL statements that the database server will execute with the same privileges as the application's database user.

The attack surface is accessible remotely over the network and requires no authentication or user interaction to exploit. An attacker can craft malicious requests containing SQL syntax in the id parameter to manipulate the query logic, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, data modification, or complete database compromise.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the failure to implement proper input validation and parameterized queries (prepared statements) in the edit_chicken.php script. The id parameter is directly concatenated into SQL query strings instead of being treated as data through proper parameterization. This allows attackers to escape the intended query context and inject arbitrary SQL commands.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, targeting the /admin/pages/edit_chicken.php endpoint. An attacker can craft HTTP requests with malicious SQL payloads in the id parameter. Since the endpoint is in the admin directory but the vulnerability is exploitable without authentication, any network-accessible attacker can submit malicious requests to trigger the SQL Injection.

The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed with documentation available in the GitHub FirePunch Documentation. The exploitation methodology involves sending specially crafted values in the id parameter to manipulate database queries, potentially using techniques such as UNION-based injection, error-based injection, or time-based blind injection depending on the application's error handling configuration.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-0478

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests to /admin/pages/edit_chicken.php containing SQL syntax in the id parameter (e.g., single quotes, UNION SELECT, OR 1=1, etc.)
• Database logs showing unusual queries or error messages related to SQL syntax
• Unexpected data modifications or access patterns in database tables related to the chicken management functionality
• Web server logs showing requests with encoded SQL payloads targeting the vulnerable endpoint

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL Injection patterns in HTTP parameters
• Implement database activity monitoring to alert on anomalous query patterns or unauthorized data access
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) to identify SQL Injection attack signatures in network traffic
• Enable detailed logging for the /admin/pages/edit_chicken.php endpoint and monitor for suspicious parameter values

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor web server access logs for requests targeting /admin/pages/edit_chicken.php with suspicious id parameter values
• Set up alerts for database errors related to SQL syntax issues from the application
• Implement rate limiting on administrative endpoints to slow down automated exploitation attempts
• Review database query logs for unauthorized SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE operations

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-0478

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the vulnerable /admin/pages/edit_chicken.php endpoint using firewall rules or access control lists
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to filter SQL Injection patterns in the id parameter
• Consider taking the application offline until a proper fix can be implemented
• Review database access for any signs of unauthorized data extraction or modification

Patch Information

No official vendor patch is currently available for this vulnerability. As this is a code-projects application, users may need to implement their own fixes or seek community-developed patches. The recommended remediation is to modify the vulnerable edit_chicken.php file to use parameterized queries (prepared statements) instead of direct string concatenation for the id parameter.

Additional technical details and vulnerability documentation can be found in the VulDB entry #250583 and the VulDB CTI ID #250583.

Workarounds

• Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF in front of the application to filter malicious input to the id parameter
• Restrict access to the /admin/ directory to trusted IP addresses only using server-level access controls
• Manually modify the edit_chicken.php file to implement input validation and parameterized queries
• Consider migrating to a more actively maintained information management system if patches are not forthcoming

# Example: Apache .htaccess configuration to restrict admin access by IP
<Directory "/var/www/html/admin/">
    Order Deny,Allow
    Deny from all
    Allow from 192.168.1.0/24
    Allow from 10.0.0.0/8
</Directory>