CVE-2023-0774 in Medical Certificate Generator App
Summary
by MITRE • 02/10/2023
A vulnerability has been found in SourceCodester Medical Certificate Generator App 1.0 and classified as critical. This vulnerability affects unknown code of the file action.php. The manipulation of the argument lastname leads to sql injection. The attack can be initiated remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. VDB-220558 is the identifier assigned to this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/09/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-0774 represents a critical sql injection flaw within the SourceCodester Medical Certificate Generator App version 1.0, demonstrating a fundamental weakness in input validation and database interaction handling. This vulnerability resides in the action.php file, which serves as a critical component for processing user submissions within the application's backend operations. The specific vector of attack occurs through manipulation of the lastname parameter, which when improperly handled by the application's sql query construction process, allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary sql commands into the database query execution flow. The remote exploitability of this vulnerability means that attackers can leverage this weakness from external network positions without requiring physical access to the system, significantly expanding the potential attack surface and threat landscape.
The technical exploitation of this sql injection vulnerability follows established patterns documented in CWE-89, which classifies sql injection as a condition where untrusted data is incorporated into sql queries without proper sanitization or parameterization. When an attacker submits malicious input through the lastname field, the application fails to properly escape or parameterize the input before incorporating it into sql statements, creating an opportunity for sql command injection. This allows threat actors to execute unauthorized database operations including but not limited to data retrieval, modification, deletion, or even privilege escalation within the database environment. The vulnerability's classification as critical reflects the severe impact potential, as successful exploitation could lead to complete database compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive medical information stored within the certificate generator application's backend.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-0774 extends beyond simple data theft, encompassing potential system compromise and regulatory compliance violations given the nature of medical certificate generation applications. Organizations utilizing this software face significant risks including patient data exposure, regulatory penalties under healthcare data protection laws, and potential legal ramifications from data breaches. The disclosure of the exploit in VDB-220558 indicates that threat actors have already developed and published methods to leverage this vulnerability, accelerating the timeline for potential exploitation. This public availability of exploit code transforms what might have been a theoretical risk into an immediate operational concern requiring urgent remediation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must prioritize immediate patching of the affected application version, with comprehensive input validation and parameterized query implementation serving as primary defensive measures. Organizations should implement proper sql injection prevention techniques including prepared statements and stored procedures to eliminate direct sql command construction from user inputs. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional layers of defense, while regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the application codebase. The implementation of principle of least privilege for database accounts and regular monitoring of database access logs should also be enforced to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability exemplifies the importance of secure coding practices and proper input sanitization, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1190 for exploit public-facing application and T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage, demonstrating how weaknesses in web application security can enable broader compromise strategies within enterprise environments.