CVE-2024-3413: Human Resource Information System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2024-3413 Overview

A critical SQL Injection vulnerability has been identified in SourceCodester Human Resource Information System version 1.0. This vulnerability exists in the file initialize/login_process.php and allows remote attackers to inject malicious SQL code through the hr_email and hr_password parameters. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, significantly increasing the risk of exploitation against unpatched systems.

Critical Impact

This SQL Injection vulnerability enables unauthenticated remote attackers to bypass authentication, extract sensitive employee data, and potentially achieve complete database compromise through the login process.

Affected Products

• SourceCodester Human Resource Information System 1.0
• Nelzkie15 Human Resource Information System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• April 6, 2024 - CVE-2024-3413 published to NVD
• February 10, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-3413

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is a classic SQL Injection (CWE-89) flaw affecting the authentication mechanism of the Human Resource Information System. The login process does not properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries. When a user submits credentials through the login form, the hr_email and hr_password parameters are directly concatenated into the database query without adequate validation or parameterization.

The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication, making it particularly dangerous for internet-facing deployments. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to bypass authentication entirely, enumerate database contents, extract sensitive employee information including personal identifiable information (PII), modify or delete records, and potentially escalate to operating system command execution depending on database configuration.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper input validation and the use of unsanitized user input in SQL queries within the login_process.php file. The application fails to implement prepared statements or parameterized queries, instead directly incorporating user-controlled data into SQL command strings. This allows attackers to manipulate the query logic by injecting SQL metacharacters and commands through the email and password input fields.

Attack Vector

The attack is initiated remotely via the network through the web application's login interface. An attacker can craft malicious input containing SQL syntax in either the hr_email or hr_password form fields. By injecting carefully constructed SQL payloads, an attacker can alter the intended query logic to bypass authentication checks (such as using ' OR '1'='1 style injections) or perform data exfiltration using UNION-based or blind SQL injection techniques. No authentication or user interaction is required, making this a highly accessible attack vector.

The vulnerability details and exploitation methodology have been documented publicly on GitHub and tracked by VulDB #259582.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-3413

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL error messages appearing in web server logs, particularly related to syntax errors or unexpected query results from login_process.php
• Abnormal login attempts containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, double dashes, semicolons, or UNION SELECT statements
• Authentication logs showing successful logins from unfamiliar IP addresses or geographic locations
• Database query logs revealing executed queries with unexpected WHERE clause modifications or UNION operations

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common SQL injection patterns in the hr_email and hr_password parameters
• Implement application-level logging to capture all authentication attempts and review for suspicious patterns
• Monitor database audit logs for unusual query patterns, excessive data retrieval, or queries originating from the login process that access unrelated tables
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) to alert on HTTP requests containing SQL injection signatures targeting the initialize/login_process.php endpoint

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging on web servers and database servers to capture request parameters and query execution details
• Set up real-time alerting for authentication anomalies including multiple failed attempts followed by successful login
• Regularly review access logs for requests to login_process.php with abnormally long parameter values or encoded characters
• Implement database activity monitoring to track queries against sensitive employee data tables

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-3413

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the Human Resource Information System to trusted IP addresses only, using firewall rules or network segmentation
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules as an interim measure
• Audit recent access logs for signs of exploitation or unauthorized data access
• Consider taking the application offline if it contains highly sensitive data until a proper fix can be applied

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been identified for this vulnerability. The affected software is published by SourceCodester (developer: Nelzkie15) and may not receive official security updates. Organizations using this software should consider the following options:

1. Manually patch the source code by implementing prepared statements with parameterized queries in login_process.php
2. Migrate to an alternative, actively maintained HR information system
3. Engage a security professional to perform code remediation

For technical details, refer to the GitHub vulnerability documentation and VulDB advisory.

Workarounds

• Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF configured to sanitize or block requests containing SQL injection patterns before they reach the application
• Implement network-level access controls to limit who can reach the login page
• If the source code is accessible, manually modify login_process.php to use PDO prepared statements or mysqli with parameterized queries
• Disable or rename the vulnerable login_process.php file if an alternative authentication method can be implemented

# Example WAF rule concept for ModSecurity to block SQL injection in login parameters
# Add to ModSecurity configuration
SecRule ARGS:hr_email "@detectSQLi" "id:100001,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'SQL Injection attempt blocked in hr_email'"
SecRule ARGS:hr_password "@detectSQLi" "id:100002,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'SQL Injection attempt blocked in hr_password'"