CVE-2024-9296: Advocate Office Management SQL Injection

CVE-2024-9296 Overview

A SQL injection vulnerability has been discovered in SourceCodester Advocate Office Management System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the /control/forgot_pass.php file, where improper handling of the username parameter allows attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. This flaw can be exploited remotely without authentication, potentially allowing unauthorized access to sensitive database contents, data manipulation, or compromise of the underlying system.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to extract sensitive data, bypass authentication mechanisms, or potentially gain unauthorized access to the underlying database system without requiring any credentials.

Affected Products

• Mayurik Advocate Office Management System 1.0
• SourceCodester Advocate Office Management System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-09-28 - CVE CVE-2024-9296 published to NVD
• 2024-10-01 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-9296

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-89: SQL Injection, which occurs when user-supplied input is incorporated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization. In the case of CVE-2024-9296, the forgot_pass.php script fails to properly validate or escape the username parameter before including it in database queries.

According to the technical analysis on GitHub, this is a time-based blind SQL injection vulnerability, meaning attackers can infer database information by observing response timing differences when injecting conditional SQL statements.

The vulnerability is network-accessible and requires no authentication or user interaction, making it particularly dangerous for internet-facing deployments of the Advocate Office Management System.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation in the password recovery functionality. The forgot_pass.php file directly incorporates user-supplied input from the username parameter into SQL queries without implementing prepared statements, parameterized queries, or adequate input sanitization. This allows attackers to break out of the intended query context and inject arbitrary SQL commands.

Attack Vector

The attack can be launched remotely over the network against any instance of the vulnerable application. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests to the /control/forgot_pass.php endpoint, manipulating the username parameter to include SQL injection payloads.

Time-based blind SQL injection techniques allow attackers to extract database information character by character by injecting conditional statements that cause measurable delays in server responses. This technique can be used to enumerate database schemas, extract sensitive user credentials, or access other confidential information stored in the database.

For detailed technical information about this vulnerability, refer to the GitHub SQL Injection Vulnerability report and the VulDB CTI Report #278790.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-9296

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual HTTP requests to /control/forgot_pass.php containing SQL syntax characters (single quotes, UNION, SELECT, SLEEP, WAITFOR, etc.)
• Database query logs showing abnormal execution times or repeated queries with slight variations
• Web server access logs with encoded or obfuscated payloads in the username parameter
• Database error messages or unusual application behavior related to the password reset functionality

Detection Strategies

• Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in requests to /control/forgot_pass.php
• Monitor application and database logs for queries containing time-delay functions such as SLEEP(), WAITFOR DELAY, or BENCHMARK()
• Deploy intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for time-based blind SQL injection attack patterns
• Enable detailed logging on the web server and database to capture suspicious query patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Set up alerts for multiple failed or unusual requests to the password recovery endpoint
• Monitor database query execution times for anomalies that could indicate time-based injection attacks
• Review web application logs regularly for patterns consistent with automated SQL injection tools
• Implement real-time monitoring of database connections and query patterns

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-9296

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict access to /control/forgot_pass.php or disable the password recovery functionality until a patch is available
• Implement a web application firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules
• Add server-side input validation for the username parameter to allow only expected character sets
• Consider taking the application offline if it contains sensitive data and cannot be adequately protected

Patch Information

As of the last update on 2024-10-01, no official patch has been released by the vendor for this vulnerability. Users should monitor the SourceCodester website for security updates and patch releases.

For additional vulnerability details and tracking, refer to the VulDB #278790 entry.

Workarounds

• Implement prepared statements or parameterized queries in the forgot_pass.php file if source code modification is possible
• Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF configured to filter SQL injection payloads
• Restrict network access to the application to trusted IP addresses only
• Disable the password recovery feature by renaming or removing the forgot_pass.php file until an official fix is available

# Example: Disable the vulnerable endpoint temporarily
# Rename the vulnerable file to prevent access
mv /var/www/html/control/forgot_pass.php /var/www/html/control/forgot_pass.php.disabled

# Add .htaccess rule to block access to the vulnerable path
echo "RedirectMatch 403 ^/control/forgot_pass\.php$" >> /var/www/html/.htaccess