CVE-2024-7798 Overview
CVE-2024-7798 is a SQL injection vulnerability in SourceCodester Simple Online Bidding System 1.0, developed by oretnom23. The flaw resides in the /simple-online-bidding-system/bidding/admin/ajax.php?action=login2 endpoint, where the username parameter is passed unsanitized to the underlying SQL query. Remote, unauthenticated attackers can manipulate the parameter to inject arbitrary SQL statements against the application database. The issue is tracked under CWE-89 and has been publicly disclosed with a proof-of-concept available on GitHub.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can inject SQL through the admin login endpoint, exposing credentials and bidding data, and potentially bypassing authentication.
Affected Products
- oretnom23 Simple Online Bidding System 1.0
- Deployments using the /bidding/admin/ajax.php administrative interface
- Forks and derivative SourceCodester PHP applications reusing the same login handler
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-08-15 - CVE-2024-7798 published to NVD
- 2024-08-19 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-7798
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is a classic SQL injection in the administrator login workflow. When a client posts credentials to ajax.php?action=login2, the username argument is concatenated directly into a SQL statement without parameterized queries or input sanitization. An attacker can submit crafted payloads such as boolean-based or UNION-based injection strings to manipulate query logic.
Successful exploitation enables data extraction from the bidding database, including administrator password hashes, bid records, and user information. Because the affected route is the login handler, attackers can also use injection-based authentication bypass techniques to gain administrative access. The attack requires no privileges and no user interaction, and it is reachable over the network.
A public proof-of-concept is hosted in the GitHub PoC Repository, and additional metadata is tracked in VulDB #274651.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands [CWE-89]. The login2 action in ajax.php builds its SQL query through string concatenation of the username POST parameter rather than using prepared statements with bound parameters.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based and unauthenticated. An attacker sends an HTTP POST request to the admin AJAX endpoint with a malicious username value. The exploit can be automated using standard SQL injection tooling against the public-facing administrative path.
No verified exploitation code is reproduced here. Refer to the GitHub PoC Repository for the disclosed payload structure.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-7798
Indicators of Compromise
- HTTP POST requests to /simple-online-bidding-system/bidding/admin/ajax.php?action=login2 containing SQL meta-characters such as ', --, UNION, SLEEP(, or OR 1=1 in the username field.
- Database error responses or unusually long response times originating from the login2 action.
- Successful administrative logins from unfamiliar IP addresses immediately following malformed login attempts.
Detection Strategies
- Inspect web server access logs for repeated requests to ajax.php?action=login2 with encoded SQL syntax in the username parameter.
- Enable database query logging and alert on syntactically malformed queries originating from the bidding application user.
- Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) rule that blocks SQL injection signatures targeting the administrative AJAX endpoints.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward web and database logs to a centralized analytics platform and correlate authentication anomalies with SQL error patterns.
- Monitor for new administrator accounts, modified user roles, or unexpected dumps of the users or admin tables.
- Track outbound connections from the web host that could indicate post-exploitation data exfiltration.
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-7798
Immediate Actions Required
- Restrict network access to /simple-online-bidding-system/bidding/admin/ to trusted source IPs using firewall or web server allowlists.
- Take affected instances offline if they are internet-exposed until input handling in ajax.php is remediated.
- Rotate all administrator credentials and review the bidding database for unauthorized modifications.
Patch Information
No official vendor patch has been published in the referenced advisories for Simple Online Bidding System 1.0. Operators should remediate the source directly by rewriting the login2 handler in ajax.php to use prepared statements with bound parameters via PDO or mysqli. Monitor VulDB #274651 for any vendor updates.
Workarounds
- Rewrite the affected query in ajax.php to use parameterized statements and validate that username contains only expected characters.
- Deploy a WAF rule that blocks SQL injection signatures on the action=login2 request path.
- Enforce least-privilege database accounts so the application user cannot read sensitive tables or execute administrative SQL.
# Example WAF rule (ModSecurity) to block SQLi on the vulnerable endpoint
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@contains /bidding/admin/ajax.php" \
"chain,phase:2,deny,status:403,id:1007798,msg:'CVE-2024-7798 SQLi attempt'"
SecRule ARGS:username "@detectSQLi" "t:none,t:urlDecodeUni"
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
