CVE-2024-0883: Online Tours & Travels System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2024-0883 Overview

A critical SQL Injection vulnerability has been identified in SourceCodester Online Tours & Travels Management System version 1.0. This vulnerability exists in the prepare function within the admin/pay.php file, where improper handling of the id parameter allows attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication, potentially leading to complete database compromise, unauthorized data access, and system takeover.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL Injection vulnerability to extract sensitive data, modify database contents, and potentially achieve complete system compromise without requiring authentication.

Affected Products

• Mayurik Online Tours & Travels Management System version 1.0
• SourceCodester Online Tours & Travels Management System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-01-25 - CVE-2024-0883 published to NVD
• 2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-0883

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) affects the payment processing functionality in the Online Tours & Travels Management System. The vulnerability resides in the admin/pay.php file, specifically within the prepare function that handles the id parameter. When processing payment-related requests, the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries. This allows an attacker to inject arbitrary SQL commands that are then executed against the backend database with the privileges of the application's database user.

The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of widespread exploitation. Successful exploitation allows attackers to read, modify, or delete sensitive data from the database, including customer information, payment records, and administrative credentials.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation and the lack of parameterized queries in the admin/pay.php file. The prepare function processes the id parameter directly from user input without proper sanitization or the use of prepared statements with bound parameters. This classic SQL Injection pattern allows attackers to manipulate the structure of SQL queries by injecting malicious payloads through the id parameter.

Attack Vector

The attack can be initiated remotely over the network without requiring any authentication or user interaction. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests targeting the admin/pay.php endpoint with specially crafted id parameter values containing SQL injection payloads. These payloads can include UNION-based queries to extract data from other tables, time-based blind injection techniques to enumerate database contents, or stacked queries to modify or delete data.

The vulnerability is accessible through the administrative interface, making it particularly dangerous as attackers may be able to access administrative data, bypass authentication mechanisms, or escalate privileges within the application.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-0883

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual database queries originating from the admin/pay.php endpoint with malformed or suspicious id parameter values
• Web server logs showing requests to /admin/pay.php containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, DROP, INSERT, or comment sequences like -- and /*
• Unexpected database errors or exceptions related to SQL syntax in application logs
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unauthorized access to database tables

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect SQL injection patterns in the id parameter of requests to admin/pay.php
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) to alert on SQL injection signature patterns in HTTP traffic
• Enable database query logging and monitor for anomalous queries from the application user account
• Review web server access logs for requests containing URL-encoded SQL injection payloads

Monitoring Recommendations

• Set up real-time alerting for any requests to admin/pay.php containing suspicious characters or SQL keywords
• Monitor database performance metrics for unusual query patterns or execution times that may indicate time-based blind SQL injection attempts
• Implement application-level logging to capture all parameter values passed to the payment processing functionality
• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for post-exploitation activities following successful database compromise

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-0883

Immediate Actions Required

• Remove or disable access to the admin/pay.php file until a proper fix can be implemented
• Implement strict input validation on the id parameter to accept only numeric values
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules enabled
• Review database user privileges and apply the principle of least privilege to limit potential damage from SQL injection

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been released for this vulnerability. As this is a SourceCodester application, users should consider the following remediation approaches:

1. Modify the admin/pay.php file to use parameterized queries (prepared statements) instead of directly concatenating user input into SQL queries
2. Implement input validation to ensure the id parameter contains only expected numeric values
3. Apply output encoding and error handling to prevent information disclosure through error messages

For technical details and additional information about this vulnerability, refer to the VulDB Entry #252034 or the CSDN Blog Post.

Workarounds

• Restrict access to the /admin/ directory using IP-based allowlisting or additional authentication mechanisms
• Implement a reverse proxy with SQL injection filtering capabilities in front of the application
• Disable the payment functionality by removing or renaming the pay.php file until the vulnerability can be properly patched
• Consider migrating to a more actively maintained travel management system if patches are not forthcoming

# Example: Restrict access to admin directory via .htaccess
# Add to /admin/.htaccess
<Files "pay.php">
    Order Deny,Allow
    Deny from all
    # Allow only from trusted IPs
    Allow from 192.168.1.0/24
</Files>