CVE-2024-3315: Computer Laboratory Management SQL Injection

CVE-2024-3315 Overview

A critical SQL Injection vulnerability has been identified in SourceCodester Computer Laboratory Management System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the classes/user.php file where the id parameter is improperly sanitized, allowing attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. This flaw can be exploited remotely without authentication, potentially leading to unauthorized database access, data exfiltration, and complete system compromise.

Critical Impact

This SQL Injection vulnerability allows remote unauthenticated attackers to manipulate database queries through the id parameter in classes/user.php, potentially resulting in full database compromise, data theft, and unauthorized system access.

Affected Products

• SourceCodester Computer Laboratory Management System 1.0
• Oretnom23 Computer Laboratory Management System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• April 4, 2024 - CVE-2024-3315 published to NVD
• January 17, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-3315

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command). The vulnerable code in classes/user.php fails to properly sanitize or parameterize the id input parameter before incorporating it into SQL queries. This allows attackers to inject arbitrary SQL syntax that gets executed by the database engine with the same privileges as the application.

The attack can be conducted remotely without any authentication or user interaction. Successful exploitation enables attackers to read, modify, or delete arbitrary database records, bypass authentication mechanisms, extract sensitive information including user credentials, and potentially execute operating system commands depending on the database configuration.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation and the failure to use parameterized queries or prepared statements when handling user-supplied input. The id parameter in the classes/user.php file is directly concatenated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or escaping, enabling attackers to break out of the intended query structure and inject malicious SQL commands.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is exploited remotely over the network by sending crafted HTTP requests containing malicious SQL code in the id parameter. Since no authentication is required to reach the vulnerable endpoint, any attacker with network access to the application can exploit this vulnerability.

An attacker would craft a request to the vulnerable endpoint with a manipulated id parameter containing SQL injection payloads. Common techniques include UNION-based injection to extract data from other tables, Boolean-based blind injection to infer database contents, and time-based blind injection to confirm vulnerability existence. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of widespread exploitation.

For detailed technical information about this vulnerability, refer to the VulDB entry #259386 and the GitHub Repository README.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-3315

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed requests to classes/user.php containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, DROP, or comment sequences (--, /*)
• Database error messages appearing in application logs or HTTP responses indicating query syntax errors
• Unexpected database query patterns or increased database load from the web application
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unauthorized access to database records

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewalls (WAF) with SQL injection detection rules targeting the id parameter in user-related endpoints
• Implement application-level logging to capture and alert on requests containing SQL injection patterns
• Monitor database query logs for anomalous queries originating from the web application
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) to identify common SQL injection payload signatures

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed access logging for the web application, specifically monitoring requests to classes/user.php
• Set up alerting for database errors or exceptions that may indicate exploitation attempts
• Monitor for unusual data access patterns or bulk data retrieval that could indicate successful exploitation
• Review database audit logs for unauthorized SELECT, UPDATE, DELETE, or administrative operations

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-3315

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the Computer Laboratory Management System to trusted networks only
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules
• If possible, take the application offline until a patch is applied or proper input validation is implemented
• Review database logs for evidence of exploitation and assess potential data compromise

Patch Information

No official vendor patch information is currently available for this vulnerability. Organizations using SourceCodester Computer Laboratory Management System 1.0 should contact the vendor for remediation guidance or consider implementing manual fixes. For additional details, refer to the VulDB submission #309575 and VulDB CTI ID #259386.

Workarounds

• Implement prepared statements or parameterized queries in the classes/user.php file to prevent SQL injection
• Add server-side input validation to restrict the id parameter to expected integer values only
• Deploy a WAF rule to block requests containing SQL injection patterns targeting the vulnerable endpoint
• Restrict database user privileges to minimum required permissions to limit the impact of successful exploitation

# Example WAF rule (ModSecurity) to block SQL injection attempts
SecRule ARGS:id "@detectSQLi" "id:1001,phase:2,block,msg:'SQL Injection attempt detected in id parameter',log,auditlog"

# Restrict access to the vulnerable endpoint (Apache)
<Location "/classes/user.php">
    Require ip 192.168.1.0/24
</Location>