CVE-2024-3223: PHP Task Management System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2024-3223 Overview

CVE-2024-3223 is a SQL injection vulnerability in SourceCodester PHP Task Management System 1.0, developed by Mayurik. The flaw resides in the admin-manage-user.php file, where the admin_id parameter is passed directly into a database query without proper sanitization. Attackers with low-privilege authenticated access can manipulate the parameter to inject arbitrary SQL statements. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network and has been publicly disclosed, tracked as VulDB entry VDB-259068. Successful exploitation compromises the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the underlying database.

Critical Impact
Remote authenticated attackers can extract, modify, or destroy database contents by injecting SQL through the admin_id parameter in admin-manage-user.php.

Affected Products

Mayurik PHP Task Management System 1.0
SourceCodester PHP Task Management System 1.0
Component: admin-manage-user.php

Discovery Timeline

2024-04-03 - CVE-2024-3223 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-3223

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a classic SQL injection flaw [CWE-89] in the administrative user management component of PHP Task Management System 1.0. The admin-manage-user.php script accepts the admin_id HTTP parameter and concatenates it into a SQL query without parameterization or input validation. An attacker with valid low-privilege credentials can supply crafted payloads that break out of the intended query context. This gives the attacker full read and write access to the backend MySQL database, including credentials, session data, and task records. The public disclosure of the exploit lowers the barrier for opportunistic attackers to weaponize the flaw against exposed instances.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements used in a SQL command. The application constructs SQL statements using string concatenation with unsanitized user input from the admin_id request parameter. No prepared statements, parameterized queries, or input validation routines are applied before the value reaches the database driver.

Attack Vector

Exploitation occurs remotely over the network against the administrative interface. An attacker authenticates with a low-privilege account, then sends a crafted HTTP request to admin-manage-user.php with a malicious admin_id value. No user interaction is required beyond the attacker's own request. The publicly available exploit documentation is referenced in the GitHub CVE Report Document and in VulDB entry #259068.

No verified proof-of-concept code is included here. The injection pattern targets the admin_id GET or POST parameter and typically leverages UNION-based or boolean-based blind SQL injection techniques against the underlying MySQL database. See the referenced advisories for technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-3223

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to admin-manage-user.php containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, UNION SELECT, --, /*, or OR 1=1 in the admin_id parameter.
Unexpected database errors or long response times originating from the administrative user management endpoint.
Anomalous access to the users or admin database tables outside normal administrative workflows.
New or modified administrator accounts appearing without corresponding legitimate provisioning activity.

Detection Strategies

Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules that inspect the admin_id parameter for SQL injection signatures.
Enable MySQL general query logging or the audit plugin to flag queries against user tables that include suspicious operators.
Correlate authentication logs with unusual HTTP POST or GET volume against admin-manage-user.php.

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward web server access logs and database query logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation and retention.
Alert on repeated 500-series responses or MySQL syntax errors originating from the administrative interface.
Baseline normal administrator activity and alert on deviations in query patterns or off-hours access.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-3223

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network access to the PHP Task Management System administrative interface using IP allowlisting or VPN gating.
Rotate all administrative and database credentials, assuming the affected system has been exposed to untrusted networks.
Review database audit logs for signs of unauthorized queries against user or authentication tables.
Take the application offline if it is internet-facing and cannot be immediately isolated.

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been published in the referenced advisories for PHP Task Management System 1.0. Organizations should monitor the vendor's channels for updates and apply source-level fixes replacing string-concatenated SQL with parameterized queries or prepared statements using PDO or mysqli_prepare.

Workarounds

Modify admin-manage-user.php to validate that admin_id is a strict integer before use in SQL queries.
Replace direct query construction with parameterized statements using PDO prepared statements.
Deploy a WAF with SQL injection signature rules in front of the application.
Enforce least-privilege database accounts so the web application cannot modify schema or access unrelated tables.

bash

# Example ModSecurity rule to block SQLi attempts against the vulnerable endpoint
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@contains admin-manage-user.php" \
    "id:1002024,phase:2,deny,status:403,\
     chain,msg:'Possible SQLi against CVE-2024-3223'"
    SecRule ARGS:admin_id "@detectSQLi" \
        "t:none,t:urlDecodeUni"