CVE-2024-37870: Learning Management System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2024-37870 Overview

CVE-2024-37870 is a SQL injection vulnerability discovered in the processscore.php file of the Learning Management System Project In PHP With Source Code version 1.0. This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands through the id parameter, potentially leading to complete database compromise, data exfiltration, and unauthorized system access.

Critical Impact

This SQL injection vulnerability enables attackers to bypass authentication, extract sensitive student and administrator data, modify academic records, and potentially achieve remote code execution on the underlying server through SQL features like INTO OUTFILE or xp_cmdshell depending on database configuration.

Affected Products

• itsourcecode Learning Management System version 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-07-09 - CVE-2024-37870 published to NVD
• 2025-12-15 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-37870

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the processscore.php script, which handles score processing functionality within the Learning Management System. The script accepts user-supplied input through the id parameter without proper sanitization or parameterized query implementation. This allows attackers to inject malicious SQL statements that are directly concatenated into database queries and executed by the backend database server.

The attack requires no authentication and can be performed remotely over the network. The lack of input validation creates a direct path for attackers to manipulate the SQL query structure, enabling them to read, modify, or delete data across the entire database. In severe cases, attackers could leverage database-specific features to execute operating system commands or write files to the server filesystem.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the failure to implement proper input validation and parameterized queries (prepared statements) in the processscore.php file. The id parameter is directly incorporated into SQL queries without sanitization, escaping, or the use of bound parameters. This represents a violation of CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command).

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is exploitable via network-based requests to the processscore.php endpoint. Attackers can craft malicious HTTP requests containing SQL injection payloads within the id parameter. Since no authentication is required and user interaction is not necessary, automated exploitation is straightforward.

A typical attack scenario involves an attacker sending specially crafted requests to the vulnerable endpoint with SQL metacharacters and commands embedded in the id parameter. The injected SQL commands are then executed with the privileges of the database user configured for the application, potentially granting full access to all database tables and operations.

For technical details and proof-of-concept information, refer to the GitHub Issue Discussion documenting this vulnerability.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-37870

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL error messages appearing in web server logs referencing processscore.php
• HTTP requests to processscore.php containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, DROP, INSERT, or comment characters (--, /*)
• Database query logs showing unexpected queries or syntax errors originating from the application
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unauthorized database modifications in audit logs

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns targeting the id parameter
• Implement application-layer monitoring to flag requests containing SQL metacharacters in query parameters
• Enable database audit logging to track anomalous query patterns and failed authentication attempts
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common SQL injection attack patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor web server access logs for requests to processscore.php with anomalous parameter lengths or special characters
• Set up alerts for database errors related to malformed SQL queries from the Learning Management System application
• Review database connection logs for unexpected query patterns or access from the web application user account
• Implement real-time monitoring for any changes to user privilege tables or academic record data

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-37870

Immediate Actions Required

• Remove or restrict access to the Learning Management System until a patch is applied or code is remediated
• Implement Web Application Firewall rules to filter SQL injection attempts targeting processscore.php
• Review database access logs for evidence of prior exploitation and assess potential data compromise
• Consider network segmentation to limit database server exposure from the web application tier

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been released for this vulnerability at the time of writing. The Learning Management System Project In PHP With Source Code version 1.0 from itsourcecode remains vulnerable. Organizations using this software should monitor the vendor's repository for updates or implement the workarounds below. For additional context, see the GitHub Issue Discussion.

Workarounds

• Modify the processscore.php source code to use parameterized queries (prepared statements) with PDO or MySQLi
• Implement strict input validation on the id parameter to accept only integer values
• Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF with SQL injection filtering capabilities in front of the application
• Restrict database user privileges to minimum required operations to limit impact of successful exploitation

# Example WAF rule for ModSecurity to block SQL injection on the id parameter
SecRule ARGS:id "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:1001,\
    phase:2,\
    deny,\
    status:403,\
    msg:'SQL Injection Attempt Detected on processscore.php',\
    log,\
    auditlog"