CVE-2024-2532: Online College Event Hall Reservation SQLi

CVE-2024-2532 Overview

CVE-2024-2532 is a SQL injection vulnerability in MAGESH-K21 Online-College-Event-Hall-Reservation-System version 1.0. The flaw resides in the /admin/update-users.php script, where the id parameter is passed to a database query without proper sanitization. Attackers with low-privileged authenticated access can manipulate this parameter to inject arbitrary SQL statements. The exploit has been publicly disclosed and can be launched remotely over the network. The vendor was contacted about the issue but did not respond. The vulnerability is tracked in VulDB as entry 256969 and maps to [CWE-89] Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation allows remote attackers to read, modify, or delete database contents through the vulnerable id parameter, compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the reservation system.

Affected Products

MAGESH-K21 Online-College-Event-Hall-Reservation-System 1.0
Component: /admin/update-users.php
CPE: cpe:2.3:a:magesh-k21:online-college-event-hall-reservation-system:1.0

Discovery Timeline

2024-03-16 - CVE-2024-2532 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-2532

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability exists in the administrative user update handler at /admin/update-users.php. The script accepts an id argument from the HTTP request and concatenates it directly into a SQL statement. Because the application does not use parameterized queries or input sanitization, an attacker can break out of the intended query context and append malicious SQL clauses.

Exploitation requires network access to the admin interface and low-privilege credentials, as reflected in the CVSS vector requiring PR:L. No user interaction is needed. Once injected, the attacker can enumerate database schema, extract stored credentials, or modify user records to escalate privileges within the reservation system.

With an EPSS probability of 0.514% (41st percentile), automated mass exploitation is not currently prevalent, but the public proof of concept lowers the barrier for targeted attacks.

Root Cause

The root cause is failure to neutralize user-controlled input before incorporating it into a SQL query [CWE-89]. The id parameter processed by /admin/update-users.php is trusted as a numeric identifier but is not cast, validated, or bound as a prepared statement parameter. This allows arbitrary SQL syntax supplied by the client to be executed by the backend database.

Attack Vector

An authenticated attacker sends a crafted HTTP request to /admin/update-users.php with a manipulated id value containing SQL metacharacters and payload clauses. Because the vulnerable endpoint is reachable over the network, exploitation can be performed remotely without local access. Published proof-of-concept details for the injection technique are available in the GitHub PoC Repository and VulDB #256969.

// No verified exploitation code is republished here.
// See the referenced PoC for technical payload details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-2532

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to /admin/update-users.php containing SQL metacharacters such as ', ", --, ;, UNION, or SLEEP( in the id parameter.
Web server access logs showing unusually long or URL-encoded id values submitted to the admin endpoint.
Database error messages or 500-status responses correlated with requests to the update-users handler.
Unexpected changes to administrative user records or new privileged accounts in the reservation database.

Detection Strategies

Deploy web application firewall rules that flag SQL injection patterns targeting the id parameter of /admin/update-users.php.
Correlate authentication logs with admin endpoint activity to identify low-privileged accounts probing administrative functions.
Enable database query logging and alert on syntactically anomalous queries originating from the reservation application.

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor egress traffic from the web server for signs of database exfiltration following requests to the vulnerable endpoint.
Track integrity of the users table and other administrative tables for unauthorized modifications.
Alert on repeated 4xx/5xx responses from /admin/update-users.php, which often indicate injection reconnaissance.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-2532

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network access to /admin/ paths using IP allow-listing or VPN-only access until a fix is applied.
Rotate credentials for all administrative accounts, since low-privileged authenticated attackers may pivot through this flaw.
Review database logs and user records for signs of prior exploitation before applying containment.
Consider taking the application offline if it is exposed to untrusted networks, given the absence of a vendor patch.

Patch Information

No official patch is available. The vendor was contacted prior to public disclosure but did not respond, and no vendor advisory exists for CVE-2024-2532. Organizations still running MAGESH-K21 Online-College-Event-Hall-Reservation-System 1.0 should treat the software as unmaintained and plan migration to a supported reservation platform.

Workarounds

Apply a virtual patch via WAF to reject non-numeric values in the id parameter of /admin/update-users.php.
Modify the source of /admin/update-users.php to cast id to an integer or use parameterized queries with prepared statements.
Enforce least privilege on the database account used by the application, removing DDL and cross-database permissions.
Disable or remove the vulnerable admin script if it is not required for operations.

bash

# Example server-side hardening: enforce numeric id via web server rewrite
# Apache .htaccess rule to reject non-numeric id values before PHP executes
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (^|&)id=([^0-9&]+) [NC]
RewriteRule ^admin/update-users\.php$ - [F,L]