CVE-2024-9080: Student Record System SQL Injection Flaw

CVE-2024-9080 Overview

A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in code-projects Student Record System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the /pincode-verification.php file, where user-supplied input to the pincode parameter is not properly sanitized before being used in SQL queries. This allows unauthenticated remote attackers to manipulate database queries, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion of student records.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to bypass authentication mechanisms, extract sensitive student data, or manipulate database contents without any prior authentication.

Affected Products

• code-projects Student Record System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-09-22 - CVE-2024-9080 published to NVD
• 2024-09-26 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-9080

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) affects the pincode verification functionality in code-projects Student Record System. The application fails to implement proper input validation and parameterized queries when processing the pincode parameter in /pincode-verification.php. When a user submits a pincode for verification, the application directly incorporates this untrusted input into SQL queries without adequate sanitization or escaping.

The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability means that any attacker with access to the application endpoint can attempt exploitation without requiring authentication or user interaction. The impact includes potential unauthorized read and write access to the underlying database, compromising the confidentiality and integrity of stored student records.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation and the use of dynamic SQL query construction. Instead of using prepared statements or parameterized queries, the application likely concatenates user input directly into SQL queries. The pincode parameter in /pincode-verification.php does not undergo proper sanitization, allowing malicious SQL syntax to be injected and executed by the database engine.

Attack Vector

The attack can be executed remotely over the network without requiring any form of authentication. An attacker can craft malicious requests to the /pincode-verification.php endpoint, manipulating the pincode parameter to include SQL injection payloads. These payloads can be designed to extract sensitive information through UNION-based injection, modify data through INSERT/UPDATE statements, or even execute database administrative commands depending on the database user's privileges.

The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed and details are available through VulDB, increasing the risk of exploitation by threat actors. For technical details regarding the vulnerability, see the GitHub Issue Discussion and VulDB Entry #278250.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-9080

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL error messages appearing in application logs from /pincode-verification.php
• Web server access logs showing requests to /pincode-verification.php with unusual or encoded characters in the pincode parameter
• Database logs indicating failed or suspicious queries originating from the student record application
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unauthorized database reads in audit logs

Detection Strategies

• Configure web application firewalls (WAF) to detect and block common SQL injection patterns in requests to /pincode-verification.php
• Implement database activity monitoring to identify anomalous query patterns or unauthorized data access
• Deploy intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for SQL injection attack patterns
• Review application logs for HTTP requests containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, semicolons, or SQL keywords in the pincode parameter

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for the /pincode-verification.php endpoint and regularly audit for suspicious activity
• Monitor database query execution times and patterns for anomalies that may indicate injection attacks
• Set up alerts for multiple failed authentication attempts or database errors from the same source IP

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-9080

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the Student Record System to trusted IP addresses only until a patch is available
• Implement web application firewall rules to block SQL injection attempts targeting the pincode parameter
• Review and audit existing student record data for signs of unauthorized access or modification
• Consider taking the /pincode-verification.php endpoint offline if it is not critical to operations

Patch Information

As of the last NVD update on 2024-09-26, no official patch has been released by the vendor for this vulnerability. Organizations using code-projects Student Record System 1.0 should monitor the Code Projects website for security updates and apply patches as soon as they become available.

Workarounds

• Implement a web application firewall with SQL injection detection rules to filter malicious requests before they reach the application
• Manually modify the source code to use parameterized queries or prepared statements for the pincode parameter in /pincode-verification.php
• Add server-side input validation to restrict the pincode parameter to expected formats (e.g., numeric values only)
• Deploy the application behind a reverse proxy with request inspection capabilities to sanitize incoming requests

# Example WAF rule for ModSecurity to block SQL injection attempts
SecRule ARGS:pincode "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:1001,\
    phase:2,\
    deny,\
    status:403,\
    log,\
    msg:'SQL Injection Attempt Detected in pincode parameter',\
    tag:'CVE-2024-9080'"