CVE-2024-3254 Overview
CVE-2024-3254 is a SQL injection vulnerability in SourceCodester Internship Portal Management System 1.0. The flaw resides in the admin/edit_admin.php script, where the admin_id parameter is passed directly into a database query without sanitization. Authenticated attackers can manipulate the parameter to execute arbitrary SQL statements against the backing database. The issue is tracked as VulDB entry VDB-259103 and has been publicly disclosed, meaning exploit details are available to any attacker with network reach to a vulnerable instance. The weakness maps to [CWE-89] Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command.
Critical Impact
Attackers with administrative access to the portal can extract, modify, or destroy database contents by injecting SQL through the admin_id argument.
Affected Products
- Chatikobo Internship Portal Management System 1.0
- SourceCodester Internship Portal Management System 1.0
- Deployments referencing cpe:2.3:a:chatikobo:internship_portal_management_system:1.0
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-04-03 - CVE-2024-3254 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-3254
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability affects admin/edit_admin.php, a PHP script used to modify administrator records within the Internship Portal Management System. The script accepts an admin_id argument from the HTTP request and concatenates the value into a SQL query without parameterization or input validation. An attacker who reaches the endpoint over the network can inject SQL syntax that alters the query logic. Successful exploitation yields read and write access to the underlying database, including administrative credentials, applicant records, and internship data. Because exploitation requires high privileges, the attacker must already hold valid administrative access to the portal to reach the vulnerable code path.
Root Cause
The root cause is direct concatenation of user-supplied input into a SQL statement inside edit_admin.php. The application does not use prepared statements, parameter binding, or input filtering for the admin_id value. This design allows metacharacters such as single quotes, comments, and UNION clauses to modify the intended query.
Attack Vector
Exploitation is performed remotely over HTTP against the admin/edit_admin.php endpoint. The attacker authenticates as an administrator, then submits a crafted admin_id parameter containing SQL payloads. The public disclosure includes proof-of-concept material hosted in a GitHub repository, lowering the barrier for opportunistic attackers to reproduce the attack.
No verified exploit code is included in this article. Technical details are documented in the VulDB entry #259103 and the public proof-of-concept repository.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-3254
Indicators of Compromise
- HTTP requests to admin/edit_admin.php containing SQL metacharacters such as ', --, UNION, or SLEEP( in the admin_id parameter.
- Unexpected modifications to the administrator table, including new privileged accounts or altered password hashes.
- Database error messages returned to clients or logged from edit_admin.php referencing MySQL syntax errors.
Detection Strategies
- Inspect web server access logs for parameter tampering targeting the admin_id argument on the edit_admin.php route.
- Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) signature that flags SQL syntax within numeric parameters bound for /admin/ paths.
- Correlate authentication events with subsequent database write operations to detect abuse of administrator sessions.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable MySQL general or audit logging on portal databases and forward the logs to a centralized analytics platform for review.
- Alert on outbound data volume spikes originating from the PHP application host that may indicate database exfiltration.
- Track administrator login attempts and privileged actions to identify compromised or brute-forced accounts.
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-3254
Immediate Actions Required
- Restrict network access to the admin/ directory using IP allowlisting or a reverse proxy until a fix is applied.
- Rotate all administrator credentials and audit account records for unauthorized additions or privilege changes.
- Review database contents for tampering, focusing on user, admin, and internship application tables.
Patch Information
No official vendor patch has been published for Chatikobo Internship Portal Management System 1.0 at the time of writing. Operators should apply source-level fixes by replacing dynamic SQL in admin/edit_admin.php with prepared statements using PDO or mysqli parameter binding, and by casting admin_id to an integer before use.
Workarounds
- Enforce strict server-side type checking on admin_id, rejecting any non-numeric input before the value reaches the database layer.
- Deploy a WAF rule that blocks SQL metacharacters in requests to admin/edit_admin.php.
- Isolate the portal database account with least-privilege permissions so it cannot execute schema changes or read unrelated tables.
# Example ModSecurity rule to block SQLi payloads on the vulnerable endpoint
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@contains /admin/edit_admin.php" \
"phase:2,chain,deny,status:403,id:1002024,\
msg:'CVE-2024-3254 SQLi attempt on admin_id'"
SecRule ARGS:admin_id "@rx [^0-9]" "t:none"
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
