CVE-2024-9086: Restaurant Reservation System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2024-9086 Overview

CVE-2024-9086 is a SQL injection vulnerability in code-projects Restaurant Reservation System 1.0. The flaw resides in the /filter.php script, where the from and to request parameters are passed into a SQL query without proper sanitization. Remote attackers can inject arbitrary SQL syntax through these parameters to manipulate the underlying database. The issue has been publicly disclosed, and exploit details are available in third-party vulnerability databases. The vulnerability maps to [CWE-89] Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command.

Critical Impact

Authenticated remote attackers can manipulate database queries through the from and to parameters in /filter.php, leading to unauthorized data access and integrity impact on the reservation system database.

Affected Products

• code-projects Restaurant Reservation System 1.0
• Component: /filter.php
• Vulnerable parameters: from and to

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-09-22 - CVE-2024-9086 published to NVD
• 2024-09-26 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-9086

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability exists in the /filter.php endpoint of code-projects Restaurant Reservation System 1.0. The script accepts user-supplied from and to parameters and concatenates them directly into a SQL statement. Attackers can supply crafted input containing SQL metacharacters to alter query logic. The initial researcher advisory identifies the from parameter as vulnerable, but the to parameter follows the same code path and must be assumed equally affected. Exploitation requires only low-privileged access and can be performed remotely over the network.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing input validation and the absence of parameterized queries in the filter logic. User input flows from the HTTP request into the SQL statement without escaping, type-checking, or prepared statement binding. This pattern is a textbook [CWE-89] SQL Injection.

Attack Vector

An attacker sends an HTTP request to /filter.php with malicious SQL payloads in the from or to query parameters. The injected SQL is appended to the application's query, allowing the attacker to read, modify, or delete database records. Because the attack is network-reachable and requires no user interaction, it can be automated against exposed instances. Public disclosure references including VulDB #278262 and the GitHub Issue Tracker document the issue.

No verified proof-of-concept code is included in this article. Refer to the public references for technical reproduction details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-9086

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests to /filter.php containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, UNION SELECT, OR 1=1, or comment sequences (--, #) in the from or to parameters.
• Web server access logs showing repeated requests to /filter.php with abnormally long or encoded query strings.
• Database error messages referencing syntax errors originating from queries triggered by filter.php.

Detection Strategies

• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules that inspect query parameters submitted to /filter.php for known SQL injection patterns.
• Enable database query logging and alert on anomalous query structures originating from the reservation system service account.
• Correlate web server, application, and database logs to identify injection attempts followed by unusual data retrieval volumes.

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor outbound HTTP error responses (HTTP 500) from /filter.php, which may indicate failed injection attempts.
• Track authentication events preceding requests to /filter.php since the attack requires low-privilege access.
• Baseline normal query parameter lengths and character distributions for filter endpoints to detect deviations.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-9086

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network exposure of the Restaurant Reservation System to trusted users only, ideally behind a VPN or authenticated reverse proxy.
• Deploy WAF signatures that block SQL injection payloads targeting the from and to parameters on /filter.php.
• Audit application and database logs for prior exploitation attempts dating back to the September 2024 disclosure window.

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been published in the available references. Operators should consult the Code Projects Resource Hub and the GitHub Issue Tracker for status updates. Until a fix is released, modify the source of /filter.php to use parameterized queries (prepared statements) with bound parameters for both from and to.

Workarounds

• Replace direct string concatenation in /filter.php with PDO or MySQLi prepared statements that bind from and to as typed parameters.
• Apply server-side input validation to ensure both parameters conform to expected date formats before they reach any query logic.
• Enforce least-privilege database accounts so the reservation system service cannot execute administrative SQL or access unrelated tables.

# Example: validate date inputs before processing in filter.php
# Reject any request where from/to are not strict YYYY-MM-DD dates
if ! [[ "$FROM" =~ ^[0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}$ ]]; then
  echo "Invalid 'from' parameter" >&2
  exit 1
fi
if ! [[ "$TO" =~ ^[0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}$ ]]; then
  echo "Invalid 'to' parameter" >&2
  exit 1
fi