CVE-2024-6009: Learning Management System SQL Injection

CVE-2024-6009 Overview

CVE-2024-6009 is a SQL injection vulnerability in itsourcecode Event Calendar 1.0. The flaw resides in the regConfirm/regDelete functions within process.php, where the userId argument is passed to a database query without proper sanitization. Remote attackers with low-level privileges can manipulate the parameter to inject arbitrary SQL statements. The issue is tracked as VulDB entry VDB-268699 and is classified under [CWE-89]. The exploit details have been publicly disclosed, increasing the likelihood of opportunistic abuse against exposed installations.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can read, modify, or delete database contents by injecting SQL through the userId parameter in process.php.

Affected Products

• itsourcecode Event Calendar 1.0
• process.php — regConfirm function
• process.php — regDelete function

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-06-15 - CVE-2024-6009 published to NVD
• 2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-6009

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a classic SQL injection flaw [CWE-89] in the process.php script of itsourcecode Event Calendar 1.0. The regConfirm and regDelete functions accept a userId parameter from HTTP requests and concatenate it into a SQL statement without parameterization or input validation. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can supply crafted input that alters query logic. The attack requires no user interaction and can be launched over the network. According to the EPSS data, the probability of exploitation within 30 days is 0.064%.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements used in a SQL command. The application builds queries through direct string concatenation of the userId request parameter rather than using prepared statements or parameter binding. Standard PHP/MySQL safeguards such as mysqli_real_escape_string or PDO parameterized queries are absent in the affected code paths.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based. An attacker sends an HTTP request to process.php targeting either the regConfirm or regDelete flow. By appending SQL meta-characters and additional clauses to the userId value, the attacker can extract database records, modify entries, or delete arbitrary user data. Because the exploit is publicly documented in the referenced GitHub Issue Report and VulDB #268699, reproduction by external researchers is straightforward.

No verified proof-of-concept code is mirrored here. Refer to the public VulDB entry for technical reproduction details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-6009

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests to process.php containing SQL meta-characters such as single quotes, UNION SELECT, OR 1=1, or comment sequences (--, #) within the userId parameter.
• Web server access logs showing repeated process.php requests with abnormally long or encoded userId values.
• Unexpected database errors or schema enumeration patterns originating from the Event Calendar application user.

Detection Strategies

• Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) rule that inspects the userId parameter in requests to process.php and blocks SQL injection signatures.
• Enable database query logging and alert on queries from the application that include user-supplied tautologies or stacked statements.
• Monitor application logs for HTTP 500 errors correlated with the regConfirm and regDelete endpoints.

Monitoring Recommendations

• Capture full HTTP request bodies and query strings for /process.php and forward them to a centralized logging platform for SQL injection signature matching.
• Establish a baseline of legitimate userId values (numeric only) and alert on any non-numeric input reaching the endpoint.
• Review database account activity for unusual SELECT, UPDATE, or DELETE statements outside standard application workflows.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-6009

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict public network access to the itsourcecode Event Calendar 1.0 application until a fix is applied.
• Add server-side input validation that rejects any userId value that is not strictly numeric before it reaches database functions.
• Deploy WAF rules that block SQL injection payloads targeting process.php.

Patch Information

At the time of publication, no vendor advisory or official patch from itsourcecode is referenced in the NVD entry for CVE-2024-6009. Administrators should consult the VulDB CTI ID #268699 record for any updates and apply a code-level fix by replacing string-concatenated queries in regConfirm and regDelete with prepared statements using mysqli parameter binding or PDO.

Workarounds

• Refactor the affected database calls in process.php to use parameterized queries with bound userId values.
• Apply least-privilege principles to the database account used by the application so that it cannot execute schema modifications or access unrelated tables.
• Place the application behind an authenticating reverse proxy to limit exposure to untrusted networks.

# Example WAF rule (ModSecurity) blocking SQLi patterns in userId
SecRule ARGS:userId "@rx (?i)(union(\s)+select|or\s+1=1|--|;|/\*)" \
  "id:1006009,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'CVE-2024-6009 SQLi attempt in userId'"