CVE-2024-1702: PHP-MYSQL User Login System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2024-1702 Overview

CVE-2024-1702 is a SQL injection vulnerability in keerti1924 PHP-MYSQL-User-Login-System 1.0. The flaw resides in the /edit.php script, where unsanitized user input is concatenated into a SQL query. Remote attackers can manipulate query parameters to execute arbitrary SQL statements against the backend MySQL database. No authentication or user interaction is required to trigger the vulnerability. The exploit details have been disclosed publicly under VulDB identifier VDB-254390. The vendor was contacted before disclosure but did not respond. The weakness is categorized under [CWE-89] Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated remote attackers can read, modify, or delete database contents and potentially compromise authentication data through SQL injection in /edit.php.

Affected Products

• keerti1924 PHP-MYSQL-User-Signup-Login-System 1.0
• Deployments using the unmodified /edit.php endpoint from this project
• Forks and derivative applications that retain the vulnerable query construction

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-02-21 - CVE-2024-1702 published to the National Vulnerability Database
• 2025-02-12 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-1702

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability exists in the /edit.php component of the PHP-MYSQL-User-Login-System project. The script accepts client-supplied parameters and embeds them directly into a SQL statement without parameterization or input validation. An attacker can submit crafted input that breaks out of the intended query context and appends arbitrary SQL clauses. Successful exploitation enables data exfiltration, modification of stored user records, authentication bypass through manipulated WHERE clauses, and potential escalation depending on database privileges. The attack is launched remotely over the network and requires no privileges or user interaction.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command [CWE-89]. The application concatenates request data into MySQL queries instead of using prepared statements with bound parameters. Standard PHP mitigations such as mysqli_real_escape_string() or PDO prepared statements are not applied to the affected input in /edit.php.

Attack Vector

An unauthenticated attacker sends an HTTP request to /edit.php containing SQL metacharacters in a vulnerable parameter. The injected payload alters the underlying query logic, allowing operations such as UNION SELECT data extraction, boolean-based blind enumeration, or destructive statements like UPDATE and DELETE. Public proof-of-concept material is referenced from the GitHub SQL Injection Example and the VulDB #254390 entry. Refer to these references for technical details; no verified exploitation code is reproduced here.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-1702

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests to /edit.php containing SQL metacharacters such as ', ", --, ;, UNION, SELECT, OR 1=1, or URL-encoded equivalents like %27 and %20OR%20.
• Web server access logs showing anomalous query strings or POST bodies targeting the edit.php endpoint from external IP addresses.
• MySQL error log entries referencing syntax errors originating from the application user associated with the login system.
• Unexpected modifications to user table rows, including password hashes, email fields, or privilege flags.

Detection Strategies

• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule set such as OWASP ModSecurity Core Rule Set to flag and block SQL injection patterns reaching /edit.php.
• Enable MySQL general query logging temporarily and review queries executed against the user table for UNION, tautologies, or stacked statements.
• Correlate authentication anomalies, such as logins from unknown accounts, with prior requests to /edit.php.

Monitoring Recommendations

• Forward web server, application, and database logs to a centralized logging or SIEM platform for cross-source correlation.
• Alert on repeated HTTP 500 responses from /edit.php that often accompany blind SQL injection probing.
• Monitor outbound traffic from the database host for unexpected destinations, which can indicate exfiltration.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-1702

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict public access to /edit.php through network controls or .htaccess rules until a code-level fix is in place.
• Audit the MySQL user account used by the application and remove FILE, CREATE, and other unnecessary privileges.
• Rotate credentials and review user table records for unauthorized modifications.
• Replace inline query construction in /edit.php with prepared statements using PDO or mysqli parameterized queries.

Patch Information

No official vendor patch is available. The vendor did not respond to disclosure, and no fixed version has been published. Operators should apply source-level remediation by introducing prepared statements, input validation, and output encoding, or migrate to an actively maintained user authentication framework.

Workarounds

• Place the application behind a WAF configured to block SQL injection signatures targeting the edit.php parameters.
• Implement server-side input allow-listing for identifiers and numeric parameters consumed by /edit.php.
• Apply database-level least privilege so the application account cannot execute DROP, ALTER, or write to system tables.
• Consider decommissioning the project in production environments given the absence of vendor maintenance.

# Example ModSecurity rule to block SQL injection patterns on /edit.php
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@beginsWith /edit.php" \
    "id:1001702,phase:2,deny,status:403,log,msg:'Possible SQLi on edit.php (CVE-2024-1702)',\
    chain"
    SecRule ARGS "@detectSQLi" "t:none,t:urlDecodeUni"