CVE-2017-17622 in Online Exam Test Application
Summary
by MITRE
Online Exam Test Application Script 1.6 has SQL Injection via the exams.php sort parameter.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/03/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-17622 resides within the Online Exam Test Application Script version 1.6, a web-based educational platform designed for conducting online examinations. This particular flaw manifests as a SQL injection vulnerability that specifically targets the exams.php script's sort parameter, representing a critical security weakness that could compromise the integrity and confidentiality of examination data. The vulnerability falls under the broader category of insecure input handling within web applications, where user-supplied data is directly incorporated into database queries without proper sanitization or parameterization.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker manipulates the sort parameter in the exams.php URL to inject malicious SQL code. This parameter is typically used to order examination results or candidate data in ascending or descending order, but due to insufficient input validation, malicious payloads can be executed within the database context. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection vulnerabilities where untrusted data is incorporated into SQL queries without proper escaping or parameterization. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to extract sensitive information from the database, modify examination records, or potentially gain unauthorized access to the underlying system. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows for blind SQL injection techniques that can be used to enumerate database structures and extract administrative credentials or examination data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it represents a fundamental breach in the security posture of educational institutions relying on this examination platform. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could manipulate examination results, access confidential candidate information, or even compromise the entire examination database. This threat is particularly concerning in academic environments where examination integrity is paramount, as the vulnerability could be used to conduct unauthorized grade manipulation or access sensitive personal information of students. The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004, which covers application layer protocol manipulation, specifically targeting web application interfaces. Organizations using this software face significant risk of data breaches, regulatory non-compliance, and reputational damage if the vulnerability remains unpatched.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the Online Exam Test Application Script to version 1.6 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries in the exams.php script would prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in the future. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious SQL injection attempts, while conducting regular security assessments of their educational technology infrastructure. The remediation process must include thorough testing to ensure that the patch does not disrupt legitimate functionality of the examination system, and administrators should monitor database access logs for any suspicious activity that might indicate attempted exploitation of the vulnerability.