CVE-2024-6190: Farm Management System SQL Injection Flaw

CVE-2024-6190 Overview

A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in itsourcecode Farm Management System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the index.php file within the Login component, where improper handling of the username parameter allows attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. This flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate database queries without requiring authentication, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data exfiltration, or complete database compromise.

Critical Impact

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

Affected Products

• Angeljudesuarez Farm Management System version 1.0
• itsourcecode Farm Management System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-06-20 - CVE-2024-6190 published to NVD
• 2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-6190

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation in the authentication mechanism of the Farm Management System. The index.php file in the Login component directly incorporates user-supplied data from the username parameter into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization. This design flaw allows attackers to craft malicious input that alters the intended SQL query logic.

The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects the authentication mechanism, which is typically the first line of defense for web applications. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to bypass login controls entirely, access administrative functions, or extract sensitive agricultural and business data stored in the system's database.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-6190 is improper input validation and the use of unsanitized user input in SQL query construction. The application fails to implement parameterized queries or prepared statements when handling the username parameter during the login process. Instead, user-supplied input is directly concatenated into SQL statements, creating a classic SQL injection attack surface.

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command), which occurs when software constructs SQL commands using externally-influenced input without neutralizing special elements that could modify the intended SQL query.

Attack Vector

The attack can be launched remotely over the network against the login interface. An unauthenticated attacker can submit specially crafted input through the username field on the login page (index.php). By injecting SQL syntax into this parameter, the attacker can manipulate the authentication query to return true, extract database contents through union-based or blind SQL injection techniques, or execute administrative database commands.

The exploitation of this vulnerability does not require any special privileges or user interaction, making it accessible to any remote attacker with network access to the application. Technical details regarding exploitation methodology have been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of widespread attacks against vulnerable installations.

For technical details and proof-of-concept information, refer to the GitHub Issue on CVE and VulDB Entry #269162.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-6190

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed strings containing SQL syntax (such as single quotes, OR, UNION, SELECT, --) in web server access logs for index.php
• Failed authentication attempts followed immediately by successful logins without valid credentials
• Database error messages appearing in application logs indicating SQL syntax errors
• Unexpected database queries accessing multiple tables or extracting large datasets

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common SQL injection patterns in the username parameter
• Monitor access logs for requests to index.php containing suspicious characters or SQL keywords
• Deploy intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for SQL injection attack patterns
• Enable database query logging and alert on anomalous query patterns or unauthorized data access attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure real-time alerting for authentication anomalies such as successful logins from unusual IP addresses or geographic locations
• Establish baseline metrics for login attempts and alert on deviations that may indicate automated exploitation attempts
• Monitor database server logs for unusual query volumes, error rates, or access to sensitive tables
• Implement application-level logging that captures authentication events with full context for forensic analysis

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-6190

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the Farm Management System to trusted IP addresses only using firewall rules
• Consider taking the application offline until a patched version is available or input validation is implemented
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules in front of the application
• Review database access logs for evidence of prior exploitation and rotate database credentials if compromise is suspected

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been released for this vulnerability at the time of publication. Users should monitor the vendor's repository and security channels for updates. Given the public disclosure of this vulnerability, organizations using Farm Management System 1.0 should prioritize implementing workarounds or consider migrating to an alternative solution with proper security controls.

For additional information, consult the VulDB CTI Entry and VulDB Submission #359008.

Workarounds

• Implement input validation on the username field to reject special characters commonly used in SQL injection attacks
• Modify the application code to use parameterized queries or prepared statements for all database operations
• Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF with SQL injection filtering capabilities to sanitize requests before they reach the application
• Restrict database user permissions to the minimum required for application functionality, limiting potential damage from successful exploitation

# Example WAF rule configuration (ModSecurity)
# Block SQL injection attempts in login parameters
SecRule ARGS:username "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:1001,\
    phase:2,\
    deny,\
    status:403,\
    msg:'SQL Injection attempt blocked in username parameter',\
    log,\
    auditlog"