Overview
CVE-2024-44640 identifies a SQL Injection vulnerability present in PHPGurukul Student Record System version 3.20. This vulnerability, located in the add-course.php file, allows attackers to potentially execute arbitrary SQL queries by manipulating the course-short, course-full, and cdate parameters. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion.
Technical Details
The vulnerability lies within the add-course.php file, where user-supplied input from the course-short, course-full, and cdate parameters is not properly sanitized before being used in SQL queries. This lack of sanitization allows an attacker to inject malicious SQL code into these parameters. Specifically, crafting a malicious payload within these parameters can allow an attacker to bypass intended application logic and interact directly with the underlying database.
Example vulnerable code snippet (illustrative):
$courseShort = $_POST['course-short'];
$courseFull = $_POST['course-full'];
$cdate = $_POST['cdate'];
$sql = "INSERT INTO courses (short_name, full_name, created_date) VALUES ('$courseShort', '$courseFull', '$cdate')";
An attacker could exploit this by providing a malicious payload such as:
' OR 1=1; --
Which would then be inserted into the SQL query, potentially altering the database behavior.
CVSS Analysis
Currently, the severity and CVSS score for CVE-2024-44640 are listed as N/A. This indicates that a formal CVSS score hasn’t been assigned yet. However, given the nature of SQL Injection vulnerabilities, it is likely that a CVSS score will be assigned that reflects a High to Critical severity once assessed. Factors influencing the eventual score will include the scope of the impact (confidentiality, integrity, availability) and the ease of exploitation.
Possible Impact
Exploitation of this SQL Injection vulnerability can have severe consequences, including:
- Data Breach: An attacker can gain unauthorized access to sensitive student data, including personal information, grades, and financial records.
- Data Manipulation: An attacker can modify or delete existing data, leading to inaccurate records and potential operational disruptions.
- Account Takeover: An attacker might be able to compromise administrator accounts, gaining full control over the system.
- System Compromise: In some cases, SQL Injection can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code on the server, leading to complete system compromise.
Mitigation or Patch Steps
To mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2024-44640, the following steps are recommended:
- Apply the Patch (if available): Check the PHPGurukul website for any official patches or updates to the Student Record System. Apply any available patches immediately.
- Input Sanitization: Implement robust input sanitization and validation techniques. Use parameterized queries or prepared statements to prevent SQL injection. Escaping user input before using it in SQL queries is crucial.
- Least Privilege Principle: Ensure that the database user account used by the application has only the necessary privileges to perform its tasks. Avoid granting excessive privileges.
- Web Application Firewall (WAF): Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to detect and block malicious requests targeting the application.
- Regular Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.
Until a patch is available, implement robust input validation and sanitization as an immediate workaround.
