CVE-2024-7444: Ticket Reservation System SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2024-7444 Overview

A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in the itsourcecode Ticket Reservation System version 1.0. This vulnerability exists in the login.php file of the Login Page component, where improper handling of the username argument allows attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication, potentially allowing unauthorized access to the database and compromise of sensitive user data.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to bypass authentication, extract sensitive data from the database, modify or delete records, and potentially gain unauthorized administrative access to the Ticket Reservation System.

Affected Products

• Emiloimagtolis Ticket Reservation System 1.0
• itsourcecode Ticket Reservation System 1.0
• Systems using the vulnerable login.php component

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-08-03 - CVE-2024-7444 published to NVD
• 2024-08-20 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-7444

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) occurs in the authentication mechanism of the Ticket Reservation System. The login.php file fails to properly sanitize or parameterize user input in the username field before incorporating it into SQL queries. This allows attackers to craft malicious input that alters the intended SQL query logic, potentially bypassing authentication controls or extracting data from the underlying database.

The vulnerability is network-accessible, meaning it can be exploited by remote attackers who can reach the login page. No authentication is required to attempt exploitation, making this a particularly dangerous entry point. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of widespread abuse.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation and the use of unsanitized user input directly in SQL query construction. The username parameter from the login form is concatenated or interpolated into SQL statements without proper escaping, prepared statements, or parameterized queries. This classic SQL injection pattern allows attacker-controlled data to be interpreted as SQL commands rather than literal string values.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, targeting the login.php endpoint of the Ticket Reservation System. An attacker can submit specially crafted input through the username field on the login form. The malicious payload can include SQL syntax that modifies the query behavior, such as boolean-based blind injection, union-based extraction, or authentication bypass techniques.

For example, an attacker might submit a username containing SQL operators and comments to manipulate the WHERE clause logic, bypassing password verification entirely. The vulnerability allows for remote exploitation without requiring any prior authentication or special privileges.

Technical details and proof-of-concept information can be found in the GitHub CVE Documentation and VulDB Entry #273529.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-7444

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed login attempts containing SQL syntax characters such as single quotes, double dashes, or semicolons in the username field
• Database error messages appearing in HTTP responses from the login.php endpoint
• Abnormal query execution times indicating time-based blind SQL injection attempts
• Unexpected database queries or data access patterns in database logs

Detection Strategies

• Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in login requests
• Enable detailed logging for the login.php endpoint to capture all authentication attempts and submitted parameters
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) to alert on SQL injection signatures in HTTP POST data
• Monitor database query logs for suspicious queries originating from the web application

Monitoring Recommendations

• Deploy application-level logging that captures all input to the login form for forensic analysis
• Set up automated alerts for authentication anomalies such as successful logins following multiple failed attempts
• Monitor network traffic for unusual patterns of requests to the login endpoint
• Review web server access logs regularly for patterns consistent with automated SQL injection scanning tools

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-7444

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict access to the Ticket Reservation System login page to trusted networks or IP ranges until the vulnerability is addressed
• Implement a web application firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules in front of the application
• Review database permissions to ensure the application database user has minimal required privileges
• Enable and monitor database audit logging to detect any exploitation attempts

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been identified for this vulnerability. The affected software, itsourcecode Ticket Reservation System 1.0, does not appear to have an active maintenance stream. Organizations using this software should consider code remediation or replacement with a supported alternative.

For technical reference, see the VulDB entry and VulDB submission details.

Workarounds

• Implement input validation and sanitization on the username parameter in login.php to reject SQL special characters
• Modify the vulnerable code to use prepared statements with parameterized queries instead of string concatenation
• Deploy an application-layer firewall or reverse proxy that filters SQL injection payloads
• Consider disabling the login functionality or taking the application offline until proper remediation can be implemented

# Example WAF rule for ModSecurity to block SQL injection in login requests
SecRule ARGS:username "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:1001,\
    phase:2,\
    deny,\
    status:403,\
    msg:'SQL Injection attempt detected in username parameter',\
    log,\
    auditlog"