CVE-2024-4932: Simple Online Bidding System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2024-4932 Overview

CVE-2024-4932 is a SQL injection vulnerability in SourceCodester Simple Online Bidding System 1.0. The flaw resides in the /simple-online-bidding-system/admin/index.php?page=manage_user endpoint, where the id parameter is passed unsanitized into a database query. Remote attackers can manipulate the parameter to inject arbitrary SQL statements without requiring elevated privileges beyond a low-level authenticated session. The issue has been publicly disclosed and assigned VulDB identifier 264468, with proof-of-concept material available on GitHub. The weakness is categorized under [CWE-89] Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can extract, modify, or delete records in the application database through the manage_user administrative endpoint by manipulating the id parameter.

Affected Products

• Oretnom23 Simple Online Bidding System 1.0
• SourceCodester Simple Online Bidding System 1.0
• CPE: cpe:2.3:a:oretnom23:simple_online_bidding_system:1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-05-16 - CVE-2024-4932 published to NVD
• 2024-12-09 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-4932

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a SQL injection flaw affecting the administrative user management functionality of Simple Online Bidding System 1.0. When a request reaches /simple-online-bidding-system/admin/index.php?page=manage_user, the application incorporates the id query parameter directly into a backend SQL statement. Because the parameter is neither sanitized nor bound through parameterized queries, attackers can append boolean, union-based, or time-based payloads to alter query semantics.

Successful exploitation allows an attacker to read arbitrary database contents, including administrator credentials and bid records. Depending on the database user's permissions, an attacker may also modify or destroy data. Because the bidding system stores transactional and account information, compromise of the database undermines the integrity of all auctions handled by the application.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of user-supplied input before its inclusion in a SQL query [CWE-89]. The id parameter handled by the manage_user page is concatenated into a query string without prepared statements or input validation, allowing arbitrary SQL syntax to reach the database engine.

Attack Vector

The attack is conducted remotely over the network against the admin interface. An attacker submits a crafted HTTP GET request that places SQL meta-characters into the id parameter. Public proof-of-concept material on the GitHub PoC Repository demonstrates extraction of database contents using UNION-based payloads against the manage_user query.

The vulnerability mechanism centers on direct string concatenation of the id URL parameter into a SQL statement executed by the admin endpoint. No synthetic exploitation code is provided here; consult the referenced VulDB #264468 entry and the public proof-of-concept for full payload details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-4932

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests to /simple-online-bidding-system/admin/index.php?page=manage_user containing SQL meta-characters in the id parameter such as ', --, UNION SELECT, or SLEEP(.
• Unexpected database errors logged by PHP or MySQL referencing the manage_user query path.
• Unusual outbound data volumes from the web server following requests to the manage_user endpoint.
• Creation, modification, or deletion of administrator accounts that do not correspond to legitimate activity.

Detection Strategies

• Deploy a web application firewall rule that inspects the id parameter on the manage_user page for SQL syntax tokens.
• Enable database query logging and alert on queries containing UNION, SLEEP, or boolean tautologies originating from the bidding application.
• Correlate web server access logs with database error logs to surface injection attempts that produced syntax exceptions.

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor authentication events and privilege changes on the bidding application database account.
• Track query response times on the manage_user endpoint to identify time-based blind injection probes.
• Review web logs for repeated requests to the admin page from a single source within short intervals.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-4932

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict access to the /admin/ directory using IP allowlisting or network segmentation until a patch is applied.
• Audit the users table and related records for unauthorized modifications.
• Rotate all administrator credentials and any database account passwords used by the application.
• Consider taking the deployment offline if it is exposed to untrusted networks, as no vendor patch is referenced in the NVD record.

Patch Information

No official vendor advisory or patch is referenced in the NVD entry for CVE-2024-4932 at the time of last modification on 2024-12-09. Organizations should consult the project source on SourceCodester for updates and review the VulDB #264468 entry for any subsequent remediation guidance.

Workarounds

• Replace direct query concatenation with parameterized queries or PDO prepared statements when modifying manage_user.php source code.
• Add server-side validation that constrains the id parameter to integer values before reaching any SQL execution path.
• Apply WAF signatures that block SQL injection payloads targeting the id parameter on the admin endpoint.
• Run the application database account with least-privilege permissions to limit the impact of a successful injection.

# Example nginx rule to block non-numeric id values on manage_user
location = /simple-online-bidding-system/admin/index.php {
    if ($arg_page = "manage_user") {
        if ($arg_id !~ "^[0-9]+$") {
            return 403;
        }
    }
}