CVE-2020-25487 in Zoo Management System
Summary
by MITRE
PHPGURUKUL Zoo Management System Using PHP and MySQL version 1.0 is affected by: SQL Injection via zms/animal-detail.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/23/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-25487 affects the PHPGURUKUL Zoo Management System version 1.0, a web application designed for managing zoo operations using PHP and MySQL technologies. This system represents a typical web-based management solution that handles animal records, visitor information, and operational data through a web interface. The application's architecture follows standard web application patterns where user inputs are processed through PHP scripts and stored in MySQL databases, making it susceptible to common web application vulnerabilities including SQL injection attacks.
The specific vulnerability manifests in the zms/animal-detail.php script which fails to properly validate or sanitize user inputs before incorporating them into SQL database queries. This weakness allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary SQL commands through input fields that should only accept legitimate data. The flaw represents a classic SQL injection vulnerability where the application does not employ proper input sanitization or parameterized queries to separate SQL code from user data. Attackers can exploit this by manipulating URL parameters or form inputs to execute unauthorized database operations, potentially gaining access to sensitive information or even compromising the entire database system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it provides attackers with the capability to manipulate the underlying database structure and content. Successful exploitation could result in unauthorized access to animal records, visitor information, staff details, and other sensitive operational data. The vulnerability also enables attackers to perform unauthorized database modifications, potentially leading to data corruption, deletion of critical information, or even complete system compromise. From an attacker perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.005 for application layer protocol manipulation and T1213.002 for data from information repositories, representing a significant threat to the integrity and confidentiality of the zoo management system.
The technical flaw directly corresponds to CWE-89 which defines SQL injection as the insertion of malicious SQL code into input fields for execution by the database. This vulnerability classifies under the broader category of insecure input handling where the application fails to properly escape or validate user-supplied data before processing. The lack of proper input validation and output encoding creates an environment where attackers can manipulate the application's behavior through carefully crafted SQL payloads. Security best practices dictate that all user inputs should be treated as untrusted and properly sanitized before database interaction, with parameterized queries being the preferred method to prevent such vulnerabilities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input validation and sanitization measures throughout the application. The zms/animal-detail.php script must be updated to utilize parameterized queries or prepared statements that separate SQL code from user data, ensuring that any malicious input is treated as literal data rather than executable code. Additionally, the application should implement proper input filtering and sanitization routines that remove or escape potentially dangerous characters from user inputs. Access controls should be strengthened to limit database access permissions and implement proper error handling that does not expose database structure information to unauthorized users. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities across the entire application codebase, with comprehensive security training for developers to prevent recurrence of such issues in future development cycles.