CVE-2024-1252: Tongda OA SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2024-1252 Overview

A critical SQL injection vulnerability was discovered in Tongda OA 2017 versions up to 11.9. This vulnerability affects the file /general/attendance/manage/ask_duty/delete.php and allows attackers to manipulate the ASK_DUTY_ID parameter to execute arbitrary SQL commands. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, and upgrading to version 11.10 addresses this security issue.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability remotely to compromise the database, potentially leading to complete data breach, data manipulation, or denial of service.

Affected Products

• Tongda Office Anywhere (OA) 2017 versions up to 11.9
• All installations with the affected /general/attendance/manage/ask_duty/delete.php endpoint exposed

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-02-06 - CVE-2024-1252 published to NVD
• 2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-1252

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability exists in Tongda OA 2017's attendance management module. The vulnerable endpoint /general/attendance/manage/ask_duty/delete.php fails to properly sanitize the ASK_DUTY_ID parameter before incorporating it into SQL queries. This allows an attacker to inject malicious SQL statements that will be executed by the database backend.

The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring any authentication or user interaction. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data stored in the database, modification or deletion of records, and potentially complete system compromise if database privileges are misconfigured.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation (CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command). The ASK_DUTY_ID parameter is directly concatenated into SQL queries without proper sanitization, parameterized queries, or prepared statements. This classic SQL injection pattern allows attackers to break out of the intended query context and inject arbitrary SQL commands.

Attack Vector

The attack is conducted over the network by sending a crafted HTTP request to the vulnerable endpoint. An attacker can manipulate the ASK_DUTY_ID parameter to include SQL metacharacters and additional SQL statements. Since no authentication is required and no user interaction is needed, the attack surface is significant for any exposed Tongda OA installation.

The vulnerability allows attackers to inject SQL commands through the ASK_DUTY_ID parameter in the /general/attendance/manage/ask_duty/delete.php endpoint. By crafting malicious input containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes and UNION statements, an attacker can extract database contents, modify records, or execute administrative database operations. For detailed technical analysis, refer to the GitHub CVE SQL Analysis.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-1252

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual HTTP requests to /general/attendance/manage/ask_duty/delete.php containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, INSERT, DROP, or single quotes
• Database error messages appearing in web server logs indicating SQL syntax errors
• Unexpected database queries or access patterns in database audit logs
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unauthorized database modifications

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect SQL injection patterns targeting the ASK_DUTY_ID parameter
• Monitor web server access logs for requests to /general/attendance/manage/ask_duty/delete.php with suspicious parameter values
• Enable database query logging and audit for unusual or malformed queries originating from the web application
• Deploy intrusion detection signatures for common SQL injection payloads

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure alerting on any access to the vulnerable endpoint /general/attendance/manage/ask_duty/delete.php until patching is complete
• Monitor for unusual database activity including bulk data extraction or privilege escalation attempts
• Implement rate limiting on the affected endpoint to slow potential automated exploitation
• Review database user privileges to ensure the web application uses least-privilege accounts

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-1252

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Tongda OA 2017 to version 11.10 or later immediately, as this version addresses the vulnerability
• If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to the /general/attendance/manage/ask_duty/delete.php endpoint
• Implement WAF rules to block SQL injection attempts targeting the affected parameter
• Review database logs for evidence of prior exploitation

Patch Information

The vendor has addressed this vulnerability in Tongda OA version 11.10. It is strongly recommended to upgrade to this version or later to remediate the SQL injection flaw. For additional information, consult the VulDB advisory #252991.

Workarounds

• Block or restrict access to /general/attendance/manage/ask_duty/delete.php at the web server or firewall level until patching is possible
• Implement input validation at the application perimeter using a WAF configured with SQL injection detection rules
• Limit database account privileges used by the web application to reduce potential impact of successful exploitation
• Consider network segmentation to isolate the Tongda OA system from critical network resources

# Example: Block access to vulnerable endpoint using nginx
location /general/attendance/manage/ask_duty/delete.php {
    deny all;
    return 403;
}