CVE-2024-5122: Event Registration System SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2024-5122 Overview

A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in SourceCodester Event Registration System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the /registrar/ file, where the search parameter is susceptible to SQL injection attacks due to improper input validation. This allows remote attackers to manipulate database queries, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, data modification, or complete database compromise.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability without authentication to extract sensitive data, modify database records, or potentially gain further access to the underlying system through database server compromise.

Affected Products

• SourceCodester Event Registration System 1.0
• oretnom23 event_registration_system 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-05-20 - CVE-2024-5122 published to NVD
• 2025-02-10 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-5122

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability affects the Event Registration System developed by oretnom23 (SourceCodester). The flaw resides in the /registrar/ endpoint, specifically within the handling of the search parameter. When user-supplied input is passed to this parameter, it is incorporated directly into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization.

SQL injection vulnerabilities of this nature allow attackers to break out of the intended query structure and inject arbitrary SQL commands. The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability means it can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous for publicly accessible deployments.

The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed and documented, with exploit details available through security databases. Organizations running this software should consider it actively at risk until properly patched or mitigated.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation and the lack of parameterized queries in the /registrar/ file. The search parameter accepts user input that is directly concatenated into SQL statements without proper escaping or use of prepared statements. This violates secure coding practices for database interaction, where all user-supplied data should be treated as untrusted and handled through parameterized queries or stored procedures.

Attack Vector

The attack can be launched remotely over the network. An attacker can craft malicious input containing SQL syntax and submit it through the search parameter in the /registrar/ endpoint. The vulnerable application will incorporate this malicious input into its database query, executing the attacker's injected SQL commands with the privileges of the database user configured for the application.

Common exploitation techniques include:

• Union-based SQL injection to extract data from other tables
• Boolean-based blind SQL injection to infer database contents
• Time-based blind SQL injection for data exfiltration
• Stacked queries (if supported) to execute additional statements including data modification or deletion

For detailed technical exploitation information, refer to the GitHub SQL Injection Documentation.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-5122

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed requests to the /registrar/ endpoint containing SQL syntax characters (single quotes, semicolons, SQL keywords)
• Database error messages appearing in application responses indicating query manipulation
• Abnormal database query patterns or unexpected queries in database logs
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unauthorized database access in audit logs

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect SQL injection patterns in the search parameter
• Implement intrusion detection system (IDS) signatures for common SQL injection payloads
• Monitor application logs for requests containing SQL keywords (SELECT, UNION, INSERT, DROP, etc.) in unexpected parameters
• Enable database query logging to identify anomalous or unauthorized queries

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure real-time alerting for SQL injection attempt patterns targeting the /registrar/ endpoint
• Monitor database server for unusual query execution times or error rates
• Track failed authentication attempts and data access patterns in the Event Registration System
• Implement log aggregation to correlate web server, application, and database logs for attack detection

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-5122

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the Event Registration System to trusted IP ranges or internal networks only
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules in front of the application
• If possible, disable or restrict access to the /registrar/ functionality until a patch is available
• Review database user privileges and apply the principle of least privilege to limit potential damage

Patch Information

No official vendor patch information is currently available in the enriched CVE data. Organizations should monitor the VulDB entry and SourceCodester for any security updates or patches. Given the public disclosure of this vulnerability, upgrading to a patched version when available is strongly recommended.

For additional technical details and vulnerability tracking, refer to the VulDB CTI entry.

Workarounds

• Implement input validation at the application level to reject requests containing SQL injection patterns
• Use a reverse proxy or WAF to filter malicious requests before they reach the application
• Apply database-level query parameterization or stored procedures if source code modifications are possible
• Consider taking the affected system offline if it processes sensitive data and no other mitigation is feasible

# Example WAF rule for ModSecurity to block SQL injection in search parameter
SecRule ARGS:search "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:100001,\
    phase:2,\
    deny,\
    status:403,\
    log,\
    msg:'SQL Injection attempt detected in search parameter - CVE-2024-5122'"