CVE-2024-6653 Overview
A critical SQL Injection vulnerability has been identified in code-projects Simple Task List version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the loginForm.php file within the Login component, where improper handling of the username argument allows attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. This flaw can be exploited remotely without authentication, potentially allowing unauthorized access to the database and compromising sensitive user data.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to bypass authentication, extract sensitive data from the database, modify or delete records, and potentially gain complete control over the affected application.
Affected Products
- code-projects Simple Task List 1.0
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-07-11 - CVE-2024-6653 published to NVD
- 2025-03-03 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-6653
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability is classified as CWE-89 (SQL Injection), a prevalent web application security flaw where user-supplied input is incorporated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization. The vulnerable component is the login functionality located in loginForm.php, specifically the processing of the username parameter.
When a user submits login credentials, the application constructs a SQL query using the provided username value directly. Without proper input validation or the use of prepared statements, an attacker can craft malicious input that alters the intended SQL query logic, potentially bypassing authentication entirely or extracting data from other database tables.
The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability means that any attacker with access to the application's login page can attempt exploitation without requiring any prior authentication or special privileges.
Root Cause
The root cause of this vulnerability is the failure to implement proper input validation and parameterized queries when handling user-supplied data in the login form. The username parameter is directly concatenated or interpolated into SQL queries without sanitization, allowing attackers to break out of the intended query context and inject arbitrary SQL commands. This represents a fundamental violation of secure coding practices for database interactions.
Attack Vector
The attack can be initiated remotely via the network by sending specially crafted HTTP requests to the loginForm.php endpoint. An attacker submits a malicious payload in the username field that contains SQL syntax designed to manipulate the backend query logic. Common exploitation techniques include using single quotes to terminate string literals, adding boolean conditions (such as OR 1=1) to bypass authentication checks, or employing UNION-based queries to extract data from other database tables.
The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk that malicious actors may leverage this vulnerability in the wild. For technical details and proof-of-concept information, see the GitHub Issue Discussion and VulDB #271060.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-6653
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual SQL error messages in application logs or HTTP responses from loginForm.php
- Unexpected login successes for unknown or invalid usernames
- Database query logs containing suspicious SQL syntax patterns including UNION statements, comment sequences (-- or #), or boolean logic injection
Detection Strategies
- Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common SQL injection patterns in the username parameter
- Enable detailed logging for authentication attempts and database queries to identify anomalous patterns
- Implement application-level monitoring for failed login attempts with unusual character sequences in username fields
Monitoring Recommendations
- Monitor HTTP request logs for requests to loginForm.php containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, double dashes, or semicolons
- Review database logs for queries with unexpected syntax or execution patterns
- Set up alerts for authentication bypass indicators, such as successful logins following multiple failed attempts with malformed input
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-6653
Immediate Actions Required
- Remove or restrict access to the Simple Task List application until a patch is applied
- Implement input validation and sanitization for the username parameter at the application level
- Deploy WAF rules to block SQL injection attempts targeting the login endpoint
- Review database access logs for evidence of prior exploitation attempts
Patch Information
No official vendor patch has been identified in the available advisory information. Organizations using code-projects Simple Task List 1.0 should contact the vendor or check the VulDB entry and GitHub discussion for updates on remediation.
Workarounds
- Implement prepared statements or parameterized queries in the loginForm.php code to prevent SQL injection
- Add server-side input validation to reject usernames containing SQL metacharacters
- Place the application behind a reverse proxy with SQL injection detection capabilities
- Restrict network access to the application to trusted IP addresses only until proper remediation is complete
# Example: Restrict access to loginForm.php using Apache .htaccess
<Files "loginForm.php">
Order Deny,Allow
Deny from all
Allow from 192.168.1.0/24
</Files>
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
