CVE-2024-7219: School Log Management System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2024-7219 Overview

A SQL Injection vulnerability has been identified in SourceCodester/Campcodes School Log Management System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in an unknown functionality of the file /admin/ajax.php?action=login, where manipulation of the Username argument leads to SQL injection. This vulnerability can be exploited remotely, and a proof-of-concept exploit has been publicly disclosed.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can remotely exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to bypass authentication, extract sensitive data from the database, or potentially compromise the underlying server through database manipulation.

Affected Products

• Oretnom23 School Log Management System version 1.0
• SourceCodester/Campcodes School Log Management System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-07-30 - CVE-2024-7219 published to NVD
• 2025-09-29 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-7219

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component), which encompasses injection vulnerabilities including SQL injection. The affected endpoint /admin/ajax.php?action=login processes user-supplied input in the Username parameter without proper sanitization or parameterization. An attacker can craft malicious SQL statements that are incorporated into database queries, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data or manipulation of database contents.

The vulnerability is accessible over the network without requiring any user interaction or prior authentication, making it particularly dangerous for internet-facing deployments of this school management system.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation and the lack of parameterized queries in the login functionality. When the application receives the Username parameter through the /admin/ajax.php?action=login endpoint, it directly concatenates user input into SQL queries without sanitization. This allows attackers to inject arbitrary SQL code that the database executes with the application's privileges.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, allowing remote exploitation without authentication. An attacker can send specially crafted HTTP requests to the vulnerable login endpoint, injecting SQL payloads through the Username parameter. The attack does not require any user interaction and can be automated for mass exploitation.

The vulnerable endpoint accepts POST requests to /admin/ajax.php?action=login, where the Username field is susceptible to SQL injection. Attackers can leverage various SQL injection techniques including:

• Union-based injection to extract data from other database tables
• Boolean-based blind injection to infer database contents
• Time-based blind injection for environments where output is not visible
• Authentication bypass using payloads such as ' OR '1'='1

Technical details and proof-of-concept information can be found in the GitHub Gist PoC Repository and the VulDB entry #272790.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-7219

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL error messages in application or web server logs originating from /admin/ajax.php
• HTTP requests to /admin/ajax.php?action=login containing SQL syntax characters (single quotes, double dashes, UNION keywords)
• Multiple failed login attempts with abnormal username patterns
• Database query logs showing unexpected SQL statements or syntax errors

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect SQL injection patterns in POST parameters targeting the login endpoint
• Monitor web server access logs for requests to /admin/ajax.php?action=login with suspicious URL-encoded characters
• Configure database audit logging to capture and alert on anomalous query patterns
• Deploy intrusion detection signatures for common SQL injection payloads

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging on the web application and database servers
• Set up alerts for high volumes of requests to the /admin/ajax.php endpoint
• Monitor for successful database queries that deviate from expected login query patterns
• Implement real-time log analysis to detect SQL injection attack signatures

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-7219

Immediate Actions Required

• Take the School Log Management System offline or restrict network access until patched
• Implement network-level access controls to limit who can reach the administrative interface
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules
• Review database logs for signs of prior exploitation and potential data exfiltration

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been identified for this vulnerability. The application is developed by SourceCodester/Campcodes (oretnom23), and users should check the vendor's official channels for security updates. Given the nature of open-source projects on platforms like SourceCodester, organizations using this software should consider implementing their own security fixes or migrating to a more actively maintained solution.

For additional vulnerability details, consult the VulDB entry and VulDB CTI information.

Workarounds

• Implement input validation and parameterized queries manually in the affected ajax.php file
• Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF in front of the application to filter malicious requests
• Restrict access to the /admin/ directory by IP address or require VPN access
• Use database user accounts with minimal privileges for the web application
• Consider replacing the application with a more secure, actively maintained alternative

# Example WAF rule for ModSecurity to block SQL injection attempts
SecRule ARGS:Username "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:100001,\
    phase:2,\
    block,\
    t:none,t:urlDecodeUni,\
    msg:'SQL Injection Attempt Detected in Username Parameter',\
    logdata:'Matched Data: %{TX.0}',\
    severity:'CRITICAL'"