CVE-2024-5118: Event Registration System SQL Injection

CVE-2024-5118 Overview

A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in SourceCodester Event Registration System version 1.0. This vulnerability affects unknown code in the file /admin/login.php, where improper handling of the username and password parameters allows attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. The attack can be initiated remotely without authentication, potentially compromising the entire application database and underlying system.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to bypass authentication, extract sensitive data, modify database contents, or potentially achieve remote code execution on the underlying server.

Affected Products

• SourceCodester Event Registration System 1.0
• oretnom23 event_registration_system 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-05-20 - CVE-2024-5118 published to NVD
• 2025-02-10 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-5118

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability exists in the administrative login functionality of the Event Registration System. The vulnerable endpoint /admin/login.php fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input in both the username and password parameters before incorporating them into SQL queries. This classic input validation flaw allows attackers to manipulate the database query logic, potentially bypassing authentication mechanisms entirely.

The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed with a proof-of-concept exploit available, increasing the risk of exploitation in the wild. As this affects the administrative login page, successful exploitation could grant attackers full administrative access to the event registration system.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is a CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command (SQL Injection). The application directly concatenates user input from the login form into SQL queries without proper parameterization or input sanitization. This allows attackers to inject arbitrary SQL commands that are then executed by the database server with the application's privileges.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP POST requests to the /admin/login.php endpoint with specially crafted payloads in the username or password fields. These payloads can manipulate the authentication query to return true, extract database contents through UNION-based or blind SQL injection techniques, or execute database-specific commands.

The vulnerability can be exploited by sending malicious input through the login form fields. Attackers typically use SQL injection techniques such as commenting out the password check portion of the query or injecting always-true conditions to bypass authentication. For detailed technical analysis, refer to the GitHub SQL Injection PoC.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-5118

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual login attempts to /admin/login.php with SQL metacharacters (single quotes, double dashes, UNION keywords) in request parameters
• Database error messages appearing in application logs or responses indicating SQL syntax errors
• Unexpected administrative sessions or login successes from unknown IP addresses
• Evidence of data extraction through time-based delays in login responses

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect SQL injection patterns in POST requests to login endpoints
• Monitor application logs for authentication attempts containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, OR 1=1, and comment sequences
• Deploy database activity monitoring to detect anomalous query patterns or unauthorized data access
• Use SentinelOne's Singularity platform to detect post-exploitation activities and lateral movement attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging on the web server for all requests to /admin/login.php
• Configure database audit logging to track all queries executed against authentication tables
• Set up alerting for multiple failed login attempts followed by a successful login from the same source
• Monitor for unusual database queries that deviate from normal application behavior patterns

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-5118

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict access to the /admin/login.php endpoint via IP whitelisting or VPN requirements
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall with SQL injection protection rules in front of the application
• If possible, take the vulnerable application offline until a patch is available or the vulnerability is remediated
• Review database logs for evidence of prior exploitation attempts

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been released for this vulnerability. The SourceCodester Event Registration System is a publicly available PHP application, and users should implement manual code fixes or apply input validation to the vulnerable login functionality. For additional vulnerability details, consult VulDB #265198.

Workarounds

• Implement prepared statements with parameterized queries in the /admin/login.php file to prevent SQL injection
• Add server-side input validation to reject login attempts containing SQL metacharacters
• Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF configured to filter malicious SQL injection payloads
• Consider replacing the vulnerable login module with a secure authentication library that uses parameterized queries

# Example Apache .htaccess configuration to restrict admin access
<Files "login.php">
    <RequireAll>
        Require ip 192.168.1.0/24
        Require ip 10.0.0.0/8
    </RequireAll>
</Files>