CVE-2024-13070: Codeastro Food Ordering System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2024-13070 Overview

CVE-2024-13070 is a SQL injection vulnerability in CodeAstro Online Food Ordering System 1.0. The flaw resides in the /admin/update_users.php file within the Update User Page component. Attackers can manipulate the user_upd parameter to inject arbitrary SQL statements into backend database queries. The vulnerability requires only low-privilege authentication and can be exploited remotely over the network. Public disclosure of the exploit has occurred, and referenced proof-of-concept material describes chaining the SQL injection into remote code execution.

Critical Impact
Authenticated remote attackers can inject SQL statements through the user_upd parameter, potentially leading to database compromise and, per public proof-of-concept research, remote code execution.

Affected Products

CodeAstro Online Food Ordering System 1.0
CPE: cpe:2.3:a:codeastro:online_food_ordering_system:1.0
Component: Update User Page (/admin/update_users.php)

Discovery Timeline

2024-12-31 - CVE-2024-13070 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-13070

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is classified under [CWE-74] (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component). The affected script /admin/update_users.php accepts the user_upd parameter from HTTP requests and concatenates its value directly into a SQL query without sanitization or parameterization. This allows an attacker with access to the administrative Update User Page to alter query logic. Public proof-of-concept material referenced in the GitHub PoC: RCE via SQL Injection describes leveraging the SQL injection to write files to the web root, escalating impact to remote code execution on the underlying server.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing input validation and the absence of prepared statements in the update user workflow. The PHP script passes user-controlled input directly to the MySQL query interface. Because the application runs with database credentials that permit file operations, the injection extends beyond data manipulation into arbitrary file writes.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires network access to the admin interface and low-privilege authenticated access. An attacker submits a crafted HTTP request to /admin/update_users.php with a malicious user_upd value. The payload breaks out of the intended SQL context and appends attacker-controlled clauses such as UNION SELECT or INTO OUTFILE. See the referenced VulDB CTIID #289825 entry for indexed exploit metadata.

No verified code examples are available. The vulnerability mechanism is described in prose only; refer to the linked proof-of-concept for reproduction details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-13070

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to /admin/update_users.php containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, UNION, SELECT, --, or /* in the user_upd parameter.
Unexpected files written into the web root or upload directories, particularly PHP files with recent modification timestamps.
Database error messages surfaced in HTTP responses referencing MySQL syntax errors originating from update_users.php.
New or modified administrator accounts in the users table that were not created through legitimate workflows.

Detection Strategies

Deploy web application firewall signatures that match SQL injection patterns against parameters submitted to /admin/update_users.php.
Enable MySQL general query logging temporarily to identify anomalous queries containing concatenated user input.
Correlate authenticated admin sessions with subsequent file-system changes on the web server to identify injection-to-RCE chains.

Monitoring Recommendations

Alert on any process spawned by the PHP interpreter that executes shell commands or writes new PHP files.
Monitor outbound network connections from the web server to unexpected destinations, which may indicate a web shell dropped through the injection.
Track failed and successful admin logins to detect credential stuffing preceding exploitation.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-13070

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network access to the /admin/ directory using IP allowlisting or VPN gating until a patched version is available.
Rotate credentials for all administrative accounts in the Online Food Ordering System and downstream database users.
Audit the web root for unauthorized PHP files and remove any web shells introduced through the injection.
Review database privileges and revoke FILE and SUPER permissions from application-level database accounts.

Patch Information

No vendor patch is referenced in the enriched CVE data. Consult the CodeAstro Security Resource for vendor updates. If the vendor has not published a fix, treat the affected version as unsupported and consider migrating to an alternative solution.

Workarounds

Rewrite the update_users.php handler to use PHP Data Objects (PDO) with parameterized queries instead of string concatenation.
Apply server-side input validation to reject non-alphanumeric characters in identifier parameters such as user_upd.
Enforce the principle of least privilege on the MySQL account used by the application, removing file-write and administrative privileges.
Place the application behind a web application firewall with SQL injection rulesets enabled.

bash

# Example WAF rule concept for ModSecurity to block SQL metacharacters on the vulnerable endpoint
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@beginsWith /admin/update_users.php" \
    "phase:2,deny,status:403,id:1002024013070,\
    chain,msg:'Potential SQLi against CVE-2024-13070'"
    SecRule ARGS:user_upd "@rx (?i)(union(\s|/\*.*\*/)+select|into\s+outfile|--|;)" "t:none,t:urlDecodeUni"