CVE-2024-6213: Food Ordering Management System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2024-6213 Overview

A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been discovered in SourceCodester Food Ordering Management System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the login.php file within the Login Panel component, where improper sanitization of the username parameter allows attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. This vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication, potentially allowing attackers to bypass authentication, extract sensitive data, or manipulate database contents.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection flaw to bypass authentication, access sensitive customer and order data, or potentially gain full control over the database server.

Affected Products

• SourceCodester Food Ordering Management System 1.0
• oretnom23 Food Ordering Management System (all versions up to 1.0)

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-06-21 - CVE-2024-6213 published to NVD
• 2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-6213

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability occurs due to insufficient input validation in the authentication mechanism of the Food Ordering Management System. When users attempt to log in through the Login Panel, the application takes the username parameter and directly incorporates it into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterized queries. This allows an attacker to craft malicious input that alters the intended SQL query logic.

The vulnerability is classified as CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command). The flaw is particularly dangerous because it exists in the authentication component, which is the first point of entry for users accessing the system. Successful exploitation can lead to complete authentication bypass, allowing attackers to gain administrative access without valid credentials.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the failure to implement proper input sanitization and parameterized queries (prepared statements) in the login.php file. The application directly concatenates user-supplied input into SQL query strings, allowing special SQL characters and commands to be interpreted as part of the query structure rather than as literal data values.

Attack Vector

The attack can be initiated remotely over the network without any prior authentication or user interaction. An attacker can craft a specially designed HTTP request to the login.php endpoint with a malicious username parameter containing SQL injection payloads. Common attack patterns include:

• Using single quotes to break out of string contexts
• Employing UNION-based injection to extract data from other tables
• Utilizing boolean-based blind injection to infer database contents
• Leveraging time-based blind injection for data exfiltration

The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed with exploit documentation available in the GitHub Exploit Documentation. For technical details on the specific payloads and exploitation methodology, refer to this external documentation.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-6213

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL syntax or special characters (e.g., ', --, UNION, SELECT) in web server access logs for login.php
• Multiple failed login attempts followed by successful authentication from the same IP address
• Database query logs showing unexpected or malformed SQL statements originating from the login component
• Abnormal data access patterns in database audit logs, particularly targeting user credentials or sensitive tables

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common SQL injection patterns in HTTP POST requests to login.php
• Implement database activity monitoring to alert on suspicious query patterns, including attempts to access system tables or use UNION statements
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for SQL injection attack patterns targeting authentication endpoints
• Enable detailed logging on the web server and database to capture and correlate suspicious authentication attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor web server logs for requests to login.php containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, double dashes, or SQL keywords
• Set up alerts for multiple authentication failures followed by success from the same source, which may indicate successful exploitation
• Review database logs for queries that deviate from expected patterns, particularly those accessing multiple tables or using administrative functions

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-6213

Immediate Actions Required

• Immediately restrict network access to the Food Ordering Management System to trusted networks only
• If possible, disable or replace the vulnerable login.php component until a patch is available
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules in front of the application
• Audit database logs for any signs of previous exploitation and assess potential data compromise

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been identified for this vulnerability. The Food Ordering Management System is a SourceCodester project, and users should monitor the VulDB entry #269277 and official SourceCodester resources for any security updates. Organizations using this software should consider implementing code-level fixes or migrating to a more secure alternative.

Workarounds

• Implement input validation at the application level to reject requests containing SQL metacharacters
• Modify the login.php code to use prepared statements with parameterized queries instead of string concatenation
• Add a WAF or reverse proxy to filter and sanitize incoming requests before they reach the application
• Restrict database user permissions to limit the potential impact of SQL injection attacks

# Example WAF rule for ModSecurity to block common SQL injection patterns
SecRule ARGS:username "@rx (?i)(union|select|insert|update|delete|drop|--|;)" \
    "id:1001,phase:2,deny,status:403,log,msg:'SQL Injection Attempt Blocked'"