CVE-2022-38269 in School Activity Updates with SMS Notification
Summary
by MITRE • 09/09/2022
School Activity Updates with SMS Notification v1.0 was discovered to contain a SQL injection vulnerability via the component /modules/modstudent/index.php?view=edit&id=.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/14/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-38269 represents a critical security flaw in the School Activity Updates with SMS Notification version 1.0 software system. This application appears to be designed for educational institutions to manage student activities and communicate via SMS notifications, making it a potentially attractive target for malicious actors seeking to compromise educational data systems. The vulnerability manifests within the module structure, specifically through the /modules/modstudent/index.php component that handles student record editing functionality.
The technical implementation flaw involves improper input validation and sanitization within the parameter handling mechanism. When users navigate to the edit view of student records using the URL pattern ?view=edit&id=, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL database queries. This allows an attacker to inject malicious SQL commands through the id parameter, potentially enabling unauthorized database access and manipulation. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-89 which categorizes SQL injection flaws as weaknesses in software that allows attackers to manipulate database queries through untrusted input.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it could enable attackers to extract sensitive student information including personal identifiers, academic records, and communication data. Given that this is an educational management system, the compromised data could include student grades, behavioral records, and contact information, potentially leading to identity theft, privacy violations, and educational fraud. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires minimal privileges and can be exploited through standard web browser interactions, making it accessible to attackers with basic technical knowledge.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 which describes the use of application layer protocols for command and control communications. Attackers could leverage this SQL injection to establish persistent access to the educational database, potentially using the compromised system as a foothold for further attacks within the institution's network infrastructure. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation, parameterized queries, and web application firewalls to prevent exploitation. Additionally, regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the educational management system.
The broader implications highlight the need for comprehensive security practices in educational technology implementations, as these systems often contain sensitive personal data and may lack proper security controls typically found in enterprise environments. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure coding practices and regular security updates in educational software solutions to protect student privacy and maintain institutional data integrity.