CVE-2024-6111: Pool Of Bethesda SQLI Vulnerability

CVE-2024-6111 Overview

A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been discovered in itsourcecode Pool of Bethesda Online Reservation System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the login.php file where the email parameter is improperly validated before being used in SQL queries. This flaw allows remote attackers to inject malicious SQL statements, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data theft, or complete database compromise.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to bypass authentication, extract sensitive user data, modify database contents, or potentially gain unauthorized access to the underlying system.

Affected Products

• Janobe Pool of Bethesda Online Reservation System 1.0
• Applications using itsourcecode Pool of Bethesda Online Reservation System
• Web servers hosting the vulnerable login.php endpoint

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-06-18 - CVE-2024-6111 published to NVD
• 2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-6111

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability stems from improper handling of user-supplied input in the authentication mechanism of the Pool of Bethesda Online Reservation System. The login.php file accepts an email parameter that is directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterized query implementation.

When a user submits login credentials, the application constructs a SQL query using the provided email address. Because the input is not properly escaped or validated, an attacker can craft malicious input that alters the intended SQL query logic. This allows bypassing authentication controls, extracting data from the database through UNION-based or error-based injection techniques, or manipulating stored data.

The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability means it can be exploited remotely without any authentication, significantly increasing its risk profile for internet-facing deployments.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-6111 is the lack of input validation and improper query construction in the login.php authentication handler. The application directly concatenates user input into SQL statements rather than using prepared statements or parameterized queries. This classic insecure coding pattern (CWE-89: SQL Injection) allows attackers to break out of the intended query context and execute arbitrary SQL commands.

Attack Vector

The attack can be initiated remotely over the network by sending specially crafted HTTP requests to the login.php endpoint. An attacker would manipulate the email parameter in the login form submission to include SQL metacharacters and malicious query fragments. Common exploitation techniques include:

• Authentication bypass using ' OR '1'='1 style payloads
• Data exfiltration through UNION SELECT statements
• Error-based injection to enumerate database structure
• Time-based blind injection when direct output is not visible

The vulnerability requires no prior authentication and no user interaction, making it particularly dangerous for exposed systems.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-6111

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual login attempts with SQL metacharacters (single quotes, double dashes, UNION keywords) in the email field
• Database query errors appearing in web server logs related to login.php
• Unexpected database queries containing UNION, SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statements from the application
• Multiple failed authentication attempts followed by successful login without valid credentials

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in HTTP requests
• Implement input validation logging to capture attempts to submit SQL metacharacters in form fields
• Monitor database query logs for anomalous patterns or queries originating from the web application
• Use intrusion detection systems (IDS) with SQL injection signature detection capabilities

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for the login.php endpoint and monitor for suspicious parameter values
• Set up alerts for database errors that may indicate injection attempts
• Implement rate limiting on authentication endpoints to slow down automated exploitation attempts
• Review web server access logs for patterns consistent with SQL injection scanning tools

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-6111

Immediate Actions Required

• Remove or disable the vulnerable Pool of Bethesda Online Reservation System from production environments until patched
• Implement Web Application Firewall rules to block SQL injection attempts targeting the login endpoint
• Restrict network access to the application to trusted IP ranges where possible
• Review database logs for evidence of prior exploitation and assess potential data compromise

Patch Information

As of the last NVD update on 2024-11-21, no official vendor patch has been publicly documented for this vulnerability. Organizations using this software should check the VulDB entry and GitHub CVE Issue Discussion for updates on remediation guidance. Consider replacing the vulnerable application with a more secure alternative if patches are not forthcoming.

Workarounds

• Implement prepared statements with parameterized queries in the login.php file to prevent SQL injection
• Add server-side input validation to reject email addresses containing SQL metacharacters
• Deploy a WAF or reverse proxy with SQL injection filtering capabilities in front of the application
• Consider taking the application offline until proper code remediation can be implemented

# Example WAF rule concept for blocking SQL injection in email parameter
# ModSecurity rule example
SecRule ARGS:email "@detectSQLi" "id:1001,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'SQL Injection Attempt Blocked'"