CVE-2024-7451: Placement Management System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2024-7451 Overview

CVE-2024-7451 is a SQL injection vulnerability in itsourcecode Placement Management System 1.0. The flaw resides in the apply_now.php script, where the id parameter is passed to a database query without proper sanitization [CWE-89]. Remote attackers with low-level privileges can manipulate the parameter to inject arbitrary SQL statements. Public disclosure of the exploit details makes opportunistic exploitation feasible against exposed deployments. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the underlying database.

Critical Impact

Authenticated remote attackers can extract, modify, or destroy database contents through the id parameter in apply_now.php, compromising applicant records and administrative data.

Affected Products

• itsourcecode Placement Management System 1.0
• angeljudesuarez placement_management_system 1.0
• PHP/MySQL deployments referencing the vulnerable apply_now.php endpoint

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-08-04 - CVE-2024-7451 published to NVD
• 2024-08-09 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-7451

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a classic SQL injection issue affecting the apply_now.php file in the Placement Management System. The application accepts an id value via HTTP request and concatenates it directly into a SQL query without parameterization or input validation. An attacker supplies crafted input — such as boolean predicates, UNION SELECT clauses, or time-based payloads — to alter query logic.

Successful exploitation allows the attacker to read arbitrary tables, including credentials and applicant personal data. The attacker can also modify or delete records, escalating to broader application compromise. Because the exploit has been publicly disclosed, weaponized payloads are readily available to threat actors scanning for vulnerable installations.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements used in a SQL command [CWE-89]. The apply_now.php handler builds queries via string concatenation rather than using prepared statements or parameterized queries. Standard PHP mysqli or PDO safe-query patterns are not applied to the id argument.

Attack Vector

Exploitation occurs over the network against the web application. The attacker requires low-level authentication to reach the vulnerable endpoint but no user interaction. A request such as GET /apply_now.php?id=1' OR '1'='1 or a UNION-based payload modifies the underlying query. The attack does not require local access or specialized tooling — curl, browser, or sqlmap-style automation is sufficient.

No verified proof-of-concept code is included here. Refer to the GitHub CVE-11-3 Documentation and VulDB #273542 for technical disclosure details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-7451

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests to apply_now.php containing SQL meta-characters such as single quotes, --, UNION, SELECT, SLEEP(, or BENCHMARK( in the id parameter
• Web server access logs showing repeated requests to apply_now.php from a single source with varying id values
• Database error messages or stack traces returned in HTTP responses, indicating injection probing
• Unexpected outbound database queries or extraction of large result sets from applicant tables

Detection Strategies

• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules that flag SQL meta-characters and UNION/SELECT keywords in query parameters
• Enable database query logging and alert on queries originating from apply_now.php that reference system tables such as information_schema
• Correlate authentication events with anomalous parameter values to identify abuse by low-privilege accounts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor web server logs for HTTP 500 responses tied to requests against apply_now.php
• Track query execution time anomalies that may indicate time-based blind SQL injection attempts
• Alert on outbound data transfer spikes from the database tier following requests to the placement application

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-7451

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the Placement Management System until a fix is applied, allowing only trusted source addresses
• Audit apply_now.php and replace string-concatenated queries with prepared statements using mysqli_prepare() or PDO parameter binding
• Review database accounts used by the application and revoke unnecessary privileges such as FILE or SUPER
• Inspect web and database logs for prior exploitation attempts using id parameter manipulation

Patch Information

No vendor advisory or official patch is referenced in the published CVE record. Organizations running itsourcecode Placement Management System 1.0 should contact the vendor or apply manual code fixes. Review the VulDB submission and the GitHub disclosure for remediation guidance.

Workarounds

• Place the application behind a WAF with SQL injection signatures enabled and tuned for PHP query parameters
• Apply input validation at the application gateway, rejecting requests where id is not a strict integer
• Run the MySQL service under a least-privilege account scoped only to the application database
• Disable verbose error reporting in PHP by setting display_errors = Off to limit information leakage during probing

# Configuration example: restrict id parameter to integers via nginx
location ~ ^/apply_now\.php$ {
    if ($arg_id !~ "^[0-9]+$") {
        return 400;
    }
    include fastcgi_params;
    fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php-fpm.sock;
}