CVE-2020-6129 in openSIS
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerabilities exist in the course_period_id parameters used in OS4Ed openSIS 7.3 pages. The course_period_id parameter in the page CpSessionSet.php is vulnerable to SQL injection.An attacker can make an authenticated HTTP request to trigger these vulnerabilities.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/01/2020
The CVE-2020-6129 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the openSIS learning management system version 7.3, specifically affecting the course_period_id parameter in the CpSessionSet.php page. This vulnerability resides within an educational institution management platform that handles sensitive student data and academic records, making it particularly concerning from a cybersecurity perspective. The flaw allows an authenticated attacker to manipulate database queries through crafted input parameters, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion within the system's underlying database infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and parameter sanitization within the CpSessionSet.php script. When the course_period_id parameter is processed, the application fails to properly escape or validate user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL query constructs. This lack of proper input sanitization creates an attack surface where malicious actors can inject arbitrary SQL commands through the parameter, bypassing normal authentication and authorization controls. The vulnerability specifically manifests when an authenticated user submits a request containing malicious SQL payloads in the course_period_id field, which then gets executed within the database context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it can enable attackers to escalate privileges, extract confidential student information, modify academic records, or even gain deeper system access through database-level attacks. Given that openSIS is commonly deployed in educational institutions handling sensitive personal data, the potential for data breaches increases significantly. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to access student transcripts, grades, personal information, and other confidential academic records. The authenticated nature of the exploit means that the attacker must first obtain valid credentials, but this does not significantly reduce the risk since credential compromise can occur through various attack vectors such as phishing, credential stuffing, or insider threats.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-6129 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected openSIS version, as this represents the most effective defense against the vulnerability. Organizations should implement proper input validation and parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection attacks, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before database interaction. The implementation of web application firewalls and database activity monitoring systems can provide additional layers of protection by detecting and blocking suspicious SQL injection attempts. Security best practices should include regular security assessments, code reviews focusing on input validation, and maintaining up-to-date security patches for all software components. From a compliance standpoint, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws, and represents a significant concern under ATT&CK framework category TA0006 (Credential Access) and TA0007 (Discovery) as attackers can use such vulnerabilities to escalate privileges and discover system information. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regular security training for administrators to reduce the risk of credential compromise that enables exploitation of this vulnerability.