CVE-2022-3471 in Human Resource Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 10/13/2022
A vulnerability was found in SourceCodester Human Resource Management System. It has been declared as critical. Affected by this vulnerability is an unknown functionality of the file city.php. The manipulation of the argument searccity leads to sql injection. The attack can be launched remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The associated identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-210715.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/07/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-3471 represents a critical sql injection flaw within the SourceCodester Human Resource Management System, specifically affecting the city.php file through the searccity parameter. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-89 category, which specifically addresses sql injection attacks where untrusted data is incorporated into sql queries without proper sanitization or validation. The flaw allows attackers to manipulate database operations by injecting malicious sql code through the searccity argument, potentially compromising the entire database infrastructure. The vulnerability's critical severity rating indicates that it can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely on this system for human resource management operations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the searccity parameter in the city.php file, which serves as an entry point for sql injection attacks. When the application processes this parameter without adequate input validation or parameterized query construction, attackers can inject malicious sql payloads that bypass authentication mechanisms, extract sensitive data, modify database records, or even execute administrative commands on the underlying database server. This type of attack aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190 - Proxy Process, as attackers may use this vulnerability to establish persistent access or escalate privileges within the system. The fact that the exploit has been publicly disclosed and is actively being used in the wild significantly increases the risk to organizations that have not yet patched this vulnerability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it can lead to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive human resource information including employee records, personal identification details, salary information, and other confidential data. Organizations utilizing the SourceCodester Human Resource Management System face potential regulatory compliance violations under data protection frameworks such as gdpr, hipaa, and other privacy regulations that mandate the protection of sensitive personal information. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target systems from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access or insider knowledge, making it particularly challenging to defend against. Additionally, successful exploitation could enable attackers to establish backdoors, deploy malware, or use the compromised system as a launchpad for further attacks within the organization's network infrastructure.
Organizations should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability, beginning with patching the affected system with the latest security updates provided by the vendor. The implementation of proper input validation and parameterized queries should be enforced throughout the application codebase to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other components. Network-level protections including web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems should be deployed to monitor and block sql injection attempts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify additional vulnerabilities within the system. Access controls and least privilege principles should be enforced to limit the potential damage from any successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices and adherence to security standards such as owasp top ten and iso 27001 for preventing sql injection attacks in web applications.