CVE-2024-7188: Bylancer Quicklancer SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2024-7188 Overview

A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in Bylancer Quicklancer version 2.4, a freelance marketplace platform. The vulnerability exists in the /listing endpoint's GET Parameter Handler component, where improper sanitization of the range2 parameter allows attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. This flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate database queries, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, data modification, or complete database compromise.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to extract sensitive user data, modify database records, or potentially gain unauthorized access to the underlying system through the vulnerable range2 parameter in the /listing endpoint.

Affected Products

• Bylancer Quicklancer version 2.4
• GET Parameter Handler component in /listing endpoint
• Web-based freelance marketplace deployments running affected versions

Discovery Timeline

• July 29, 2024 - CVE-2024-7188 published to NVD
• November 21, 2024 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-7188

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) affects the /listing component of Bylancer Quicklancer 2.4. The vulnerability arises from the application's failure to properly sanitize user-supplied input in the range2 GET parameter before incorporating it into SQL queries.

When processing listing requests, the application takes the range2 parameter value directly from user input and concatenates it into database queries without proper parameterization or input validation. This allows attackers to inject arbitrary SQL syntax that gets executed by the database server with the application's privileges.

The vulnerability is network-accessible, requires no authentication, and can be exploited with low complexity. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, and the vendor (Bylancer) was contacted about this vulnerability but did not respond, leaving users without an official patch.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-7188 is improper input validation in the GET Parameter Handler component. The application fails to implement prepared statements or parameterized queries when processing the range2 parameter in the /listing endpoint. User-supplied input is directly concatenated into SQL query strings, allowing malicious SQL code to be executed against the backend database.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based, requiring no user interaction or prior authentication. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP GET requests to the /listing endpoint with specially crafted range2 parameter values containing SQL injection payloads.

The exploitation mechanism involves injecting SQL syntax through the range2 parameter that alters the intended query logic. Attackers can leverage techniques such as UNION-based injection to extract data from other database tables, Boolean-based blind injection to infer database contents, or time-based blind injection to extract data character by character.

For detailed technical information about the exploitation methodology, refer to the GitHub CVE Summary and VulDB advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-7188

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed requests to the /listing endpoint containing SQL syntax characters (single quotes, double dashes, UNION keywords) in the range2 parameter
• Database error messages appearing in application responses or logs indicating SQL syntax errors
• Unexpected database queries or query patterns in database logs, particularly those referencing system tables or attempting data extraction
• Elevated database activity or connection counts from the web application service account

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in GET parameters targeting the /listing endpoint
• Configure database query logging and monitor for suspicious query patterns including UNION SELECT, information_schema references, or comment sequences
• Deploy intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common SQL injection attack patterns
• Utilize application security monitoring tools to track anomalous parameter values and request patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for the /listing endpoint and monitor for requests containing SQL metacharacters in the range2 parameter
• Set up alerts for database errors or exceptions originating from the Quicklancer application
• Monitor for unusual data exfiltration patterns or bulk database reads from the application
• Review access logs regularly for repeated requests with varying SQL injection payloads from single IP addresses

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-7188

Immediate Actions Required

• Implement input validation and sanitization for the range2 parameter in the /listing endpoint, restricting it to expected numeric or alphanumeric values
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules in front of the Quicklancer application
• Consider taking the affected /listing functionality offline until proper remediation can be implemented
• Review database permissions and ensure the application uses least-privilege database accounts

Patch Information

No official vendor patch is currently available for this vulnerability. The vendor (Bylancer) was contacted about this disclosure but did not respond. Users should monitor the VulDB advisory and Bylancer's official channels for any future security updates. Consider implementing the workarounds below until an official patch is released.

Workarounds

• Implement server-side input validation to ensure the range2 parameter only accepts expected numeric values
• Use parameterized queries or prepared statements in the application code to prevent SQL injection
• Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF rule specifically blocking requests with SQL injection patterns in the range2 parameter
• Apply network-level restrictions to limit access to the application from trusted IP ranges only

# Example WAF rule for ModSecurity to block SQL injection in range2 parameter
SecRule ARGS:range2 "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:1001,\
    phase:2,\
    deny,\
    status:403,\
    log,\
    msg:'SQL Injection attempt detected in range2 parameter - CVE-2024-7188'"