CVE-2024-2520: Online Event Hall Reservation SQLi Flaw

CVE-2024-2520 Overview

A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in MAGESH-K21 Online-College-Event-Hall-Reservation-System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the /admin/bookdate.php file, where improper sanitization of the room_id parameter allows attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. This flaw can be exploited remotely without authentication, potentially leading to complete database compromise, data exfiltration, and unauthorized system access.

Critical Impact

This SQL injection vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the backend database, potentially leading to complete data breach, data manipulation, and system compromise.

Affected Products

• MAGESH-K21 Online-College-Event-Hall-Reservation-System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-03-16 - CVE-2024-2520 published to NVD
• 2025-02-14 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-2520

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability occurs in the /admin/bookdate.php file of the Online-College-Event-Hall-Reservation-System. The application fails to properly validate and sanitize the room_id parameter before incorporating it into SQL queries. As a result, an attacker can craft malicious input that modifies the intended SQL statement structure, enabling unauthorized database operations.

The vulnerability allows attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms, retrieve sensitive data from the database, modify or delete records, and in some cases execute operating system commands depending on the database configuration. Since the attack vector is network-based and requires no authentication or user interaction, this represents a severe security risk for any deployment of this system.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-2520 is the lack of input validation and parameterized queries in the bookdate.php file. The room_id parameter is directly concatenated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or the use of prepared statements. This classic SQL injection pattern (CWE-89) allows user-supplied input to break out of the intended data context and execute as SQL code.

Attack Vector

The attack can be launched remotely over the network by sending crafted HTTP requests to the /admin/bookdate.php endpoint. An attacker manipulates the room_id parameter to inject SQL syntax that alters the query logic. Successful exploitation does not require any prior authentication or special privileges.

The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed with proof-of-concept details available. Attackers can leverage standard SQL injection techniques including UNION-based injection, boolean-based blind injection, and time-based blind injection to extract data or manipulate the database.

For technical details on the exploitation methodology, refer to the GitHub PoC for SQL Injection.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-2520

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL syntax patterns in web server access logs targeting /admin/bookdate.php
• Database error messages exposed in application responses
• Unexpected database queries containing UNION, SELECT, or other SQL keywords in the room_id parameter
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unauthorized database access in database audit logs

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect SQL injection patterns in the room_id parameter
• Monitor HTTP request logs for suspicious characters and SQL keywords in request parameters
• Enable database query logging to identify anomalous or unauthorized SQL statements
• Deploy intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common SQL injection attack patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging on the web server for all requests to /admin/bookdate.php
• Configure database audit logging to capture all queries executed against the application database
• Set up alerts for database errors or unusual query patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts
• Regularly review access logs for reconnaissance activity targeting the application

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-2520

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the affected /admin/bookdate.php endpoint using firewall rules or access control lists
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to filter malicious SQL injection payloads
• Consider taking the application offline until a proper fix can be applied
• Audit database logs for signs of previous exploitation and potential data compromise

Patch Information

No official patch is currently available from the vendor. According to the vulnerability disclosure, the vendor was contacted early about this issue but did not respond. Organizations using this software should implement the workarounds below and consider migrating to a more actively maintained alternative. Monitor the VulDB advisory for any updates regarding vendor response or patches.

Workarounds

• Modify the source code to use parameterized queries or prepared statements for all database operations involving user input
• Implement strict input validation to allow only numeric values for the room_id parameter
• Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF with SQL injection detection rules in front of the application
• Restrict access to the /admin/ directory to trusted IP addresses only

# Example: Apache configuration to restrict access to admin directory
<Directory "/var/www/html/admin">
    Order deny,allow
    Deny from all
    Allow from 10.0.0.0/8
    Allow from 192.168.1.0/24
</Directory>