CVE-2024-5065: PHPGurukul Course Registration SQLi Flaw

CVE-2024-5065 Overview

A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been discovered in PHPGurukul Online Course Registration System version 3.1. The vulnerability exists in the /onlinecourse/ file, where improper handling of the regno parameter allows attackers to inject malicious SQL commands. This unauthenticated attack can be launched remotely, potentially exposing sensitive database information and compromising the integrity of the application.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to extract, modify, or delete database contents, potentially compromising student registration data and system credentials.

Affected Products

• PHPGurukul Online Course Registration System 3.1

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-05-17 - CVE-2024-5065 published to NVD
• 2025-03-03 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-5065

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) stems from insufficient input validation in the Online Course Registration System's handling of user-supplied data. The regno parameter in the /onlinecourse/ endpoint is directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization. This allows attackers to manipulate the query structure and execute arbitrary SQL commands against the backend database.

The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be exploited without authentication, meaning any remote attacker with network access to the application can attempt exploitation. Successful attacks could result in unauthorized access to sensitive student registration data, modification of course enrollment records, or complete database compromise.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands. The application fails to properly sanitize the regno parameter before using it in database queries, allowing attackers to inject malicious SQL syntax. This represents a classic SQL injection pattern where user input is concatenated directly into query strings rather than being handled through prepared statements or parameterized queries.

Attack Vector

The attack can be executed remotely over the network without requiring authentication or user interaction. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests targeting the /onlinecourse/ endpoint with specially crafted regno parameter values containing SQL injection payloads. The vulnerability allows for various SQL injection techniques including UNION-based injection, boolean-based blind injection, and time-based blind injection depending on the application's response behavior.

The exploitation methodology involves sending HTTP requests with SQL metacharacters in the regno parameter that break out of the intended query context and allow execution of attacker-controlled SQL statements. Detailed proof-of-concept information is available in the GitHub SQL Injection PoC repository.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-5065

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL error messages appearing in application logs or responses
• Anomalous database queries containing SQL metacharacters like single quotes, UNION statements, or comment sequences
• Suspicious HTTP requests to /onlinecourse/ with encoded or malformed regno parameter values
• Database audit logs showing unauthorized data access or extraction patterns

Detection Strategies

• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect SQL injection patterns in the regno parameter
• Monitor HTTP request logs for common SQL injection signatures including single quotes, double dashes, and UNION keywords
• Implement database activity monitoring to detect abnormal query patterns or data exfiltration attempts
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) with SQL injection detection rules targeting the affected endpoint

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging on the web application to capture all requests to the /onlinecourse/ endpoint
• Monitor database query logs for syntax errors or unusual query structures
• Set up alerts for multiple failed or suspicious requests from the same IP address
• Review application error logs for SQL-related exceptions that may indicate exploitation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-5065

Immediate Actions Required

• Remove or restrict access to the PHPGurukul Online Course Registration System until patched
• Implement network-level access controls to limit exposure of the vulnerable application
• Deploy a web application firewall with SQL injection protection rules
• Audit database logs for signs of prior exploitation and potential data compromise
• Review and harden database permissions to limit the impact of successful SQL injection attacks

Patch Information

No official vendor patch information was available at the time of publication. Organizations should monitor VulDB #264924 and PHPGurukul's official channels for security updates. Given the critical nature of this vulnerability, consider replacing the affected software with a more secure alternative if patches are not forthcoming.

Workarounds

• Implement input validation on the regno parameter to allow only alphanumeric characters
• Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF to filter malicious SQL injection payloads before they reach the application
• Restrict network access to the application using firewall rules or VPN requirements
• If source code access is available, implement prepared statements or parameterized queries for all database operations involving user input

# Example WAF rule for ModSecurity to block SQL injection attempts
SecRule ARGS:regno "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:1001,\
    phase:2,\
    deny,\
    status:403,\
    msg:'SQL Injection attempt detected in regno parameter',\
    log,\
    auditlog"