CVE-2024-2556 Overview
A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in SourceCodester Employee Task Management System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the attendance-info.php file, where improper sanitization of the user_id parameter allows attackers to inject malicious SQL commands. This weakness (CWE-89) enables remote attackers to manipulate database queries, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, data modification, or complete system compromise.
Critical Impact
Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability without authentication to extract sensitive employee data, modify attendance records, or potentially gain full control of the underlying database server.
Affected Products
- SourceCodester Employee Task Management System 1.0
- oretnom23 employee_task_management_system 1.0
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-03-17 - CVE-2024-2556 published to NVD
- 2025-02-18 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-2556
Vulnerability Analysis
This SQL injection vulnerability stems from improper input validation in the attendance-info.php file of the Employee Task Management System. When processing the user_id parameter, the application fails to properly sanitize or parameterize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries. This allows attackers to break out of the intended query context and inject arbitrary SQL commands.
The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without any prior authentication or user interaction. Successful exploitation allows attackers to read, modify, or delete database contents, potentially extracting sensitive employee information including personal details, credentials, and attendance records. In worst-case scenarios, attackers could leverage this SQL injection to execute operating system commands through database features like xp_cmdshell (SQL Server) or INTO OUTFILE (MySQL).
Root Cause
The root cause of this vulnerability is the direct inclusion of user-supplied input from the user_id parameter into SQL queries without proper sanitization, escaping, or use of parameterized queries (prepared statements). The PHP application constructs SQL queries by concatenating user input directly into the query string, allowing attackers to modify the query structure by injecting SQL syntax characters and commands.
Attack Vector
The attack can be initiated remotely over the network by sending crafted HTTP requests to the attendance-info.php endpoint. An attacker manipulates the user_id parameter to inject SQL commands that are then executed against the backend database. Since no authentication is required to exploit this vulnerability, any attacker with network access to the application can attempt exploitation.
The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed, with technical details available through external references. Attackers can use common SQL injection techniques such as UNION-based injection, boolean-based blind injection, or time-based blind injection to extract data or manipulate database contents.
For detailed technical analysis of this vulnerability, refer to the GitHub Project Documentation and VulDB #257055 Details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-2556
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual HTTP requests to attendance-info.php containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, OR, AND, --, or ' in the user_id parameter
- Database error messages appearing in application logs or responses indicating malformed queries
- Unexpected database queries or data access patterns in database audit logs
- Anomalous data extraction or large result sets from the attendance database tables
Detection Strategies
- Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in HTTP parameters
- Enable database query logging and monitor for suspicious query structures containing injection patterns
- Implement intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common SQL injection attack vectors
- Review application logs for repeated requests to attendance-info.php with varying user_id values
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose logging for the Employee Task Management System application
- Configure database auditing to capture all queries executed against employee and attendance tables
- Set up alerts for database error rates or failed query attempts that may indicate injection attempts
- Monitor for unusual data exfiltration patterns from the database server
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-2556
Immediate Actions Required
- Take the Employee Task Management System offline or restrict network access until the vulnerability is patched
- Review database logs for evidence of exploitation and determine if data has been compromised
- Implement WAF rules to filter SQL injection patterns targeting the user_id parameter
- Consider network segmentation to limit database server exposure
Patch Information
No official vendor patch information is currently available for this vulnerability. The affected product is SourceCodester Employee Task Management System version 1.0 developed by oretnom23. Organizations using this software should contact the developer for patch availability or consider migrating to alternative solutions with better security support.
For additional context and vulnerability tracking, refer to:
Workarounds
- Implement input validation to reject user_id values containing non-numeric characters
- Modify the vulnerable code to use parameterized queries (prepared statements) instead of string concatenation
- Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF with SQL injection protection rules in front of the application
- Restrict database user privileges to minimum required operations to limit the impact of successful exploitation
# Example: Restrict access to attendance-info.php using .htaccess
# Add to the application's .htaccess file
<Files "attendance-info.php">
# Deny access from external networks
Order Deny,Allow
Deny from all
Allow from 127.0.0.1
Allow from 192.168.0.0/16
</Files>
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
