CVE-2024-3424: Argie Online Courseware SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2024-3424 Overview

A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been discovered in SourceCodester Online Courseware version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the admin/listscore.php file where improper handling of the title argument allows attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. This flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate database queries without requiring any authentication, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or complete database compromise.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to extract sensitive data, modify database contents, or potentially gain full control over the underlying database server. The vulnerability requires no user interaction and can be exploited over the network.

Affected Products

• Argie Online Courseware version 1.0
• SourceCodester Online Courseware 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-04-07 - CVE-2024-3424 published to NVD
• 2025-01-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-3424

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) occurs in the admin/listscore.php file of the Online Courseware application. The title parameter is directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterized query usage. This allows attackers to inject arbitrary SQL commands that are executed by the database engine with the application's privileges.

The vulnerability is particularly severe because it can be exploited remotely without authentication. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests containing SQL injection payloads in the title parameter, potentially allowing them to bypass authentication mechanisms, extract sensitive student and course data, modify grades and academic records, or even execute administrative operations on the database.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the failure to implement proper input validation and sanitization for the title parameter in admin/listscore.php. The application directly concatenates user-supplied input into SQL queries instead of using prepared statements or parameterized queries. This classic secure coding violation allows attackers to break out of the intended query structure and inject their own SQL commands.

Attack Vector

The attack can be executed remotely over the network by sending crafted HTTP requests to the vulnerable admin/listscore.php endpoint. An attacker constructs a malicious value for the title parameter containing SQL injection syntax. When the application processes this request, the injected SQL is executed against the database.

For example, an attacker could inject payloads to extract database schema information, dump user credentials, or manipulate academic records. The attack requires no prior authentication or special privileges, making it particularly dangerous for exposed instances of this software.

Technical details and proof-of-concept information can be found in the GitHub Documentation Resource and the VulDB entry #259596.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-3424

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL error messages in web server logs related to admin/listscore.php
• HTTP requests to admin/listscore.php containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, OR, AND, or comment sequences (--, /*)
• Unexpected database queries or access patterns in database audit logs
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unauthorized database modifications

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common SQL injection patterns targeting the title parameter
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) to alert on HTTP requests containing SQL injection signatures directed at /admin/listscore.php
• Enable detailed logging on the web server and database to capture suspicious query patterns
• Deploy application-level monitoring to detect anomalous request patterns to administrative endpoints

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor web server access logs for requests to admin/listscore.php with abnormal title parameter values
• Set up database activity monitoring to detect unusual query patterns or unauthorized data access
• Implement alerting for any SQL errors or exceptions generated by the application
• Review authentication logs for any bypass attempts or unauthorized administrative access

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-3424

Immediate Actions Required

• Remove or restrict access to the Online Courseware application until a patch is available or the vulnerability is remediated
• Implement network-level access controls to limit access to the administrative interface
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules specifically targeting SQL injection attacks on the affected endpoint
• Review database logs for any evidence of prior exploitation and assess potential data compromise

Patch Information

As of the last update, no official patch from the vendor has been identified. Organizations using SourceCodester Online Courseware 1.0 should contact the vendor for security updates or consider implementing the workarounds below. Additional information may be available through VulDB.

Workarounds

• Restrict network access to the admin/listscore.php endpoint using firewall rules or .htaccess configurations
• Implement input validation at the web server level to block requests containing SQL injection patterns in the title parameter
• If possible, modify the source code to use prepared statements with parameterized queries for all database interactions
• Consider taking the application offline until a proper fix can be implemented

# Example Apache .htaccess rule to restrict access to vulnerable endpoint
<Files "listscore.php">
    Order Deny,Allow
    Deny from all
    Allow from 192.168.1.0/24
</Files>