CVE-2023-0904 in Employee Task Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 02/18/2023
A vulnerability was found in SourceCodester Employee Task Management System 1.0. It has been rated as critical. This issue affects some unknown processing of the file task-details.php. The manipulation of the argument task_id leads to sql injection. The attack may be initiated remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The identifier VDB-221453 was assigned to this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/23/2024
The vulnerability CVE-2023-0904 represents a critical sql injection flaw in the SourceCodester Employee Task Management System version 1.0, demonstrating a fundamental weakness in input validation and database interaction processes. This vulnerability specifically targets the task-details.php file where the task_id parameter is processed without adequate sanitization, creating an exploitable entry point for malicious actors to manipulate database queries through crafted input. The flaw resides in the application's failure to properly escape or validate user-supplied data before incorporating it into sql commands, which directly aligns with CWE-89 sql injection weakness classification. The remote exploitability of this vulnerability means that attackers can leverage this weakness from external networks without requiring physical access to the system, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that are publicly accessible.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the application processes the task_id argument within the task-details.php file, where user input is directly concatenated into sql queries without proper parameterization or input filtering mechanisms. This creates an environment where malicious users can inject sql commands through the task_id parameter, potentially allowing them to extract sensitive data, modify database records, or even execute administrative commands on the underlying database system. The vulnerability's classification as critical reflects the severity of potential impact, as sql injection attacks can compromise entire database systems and lead to data breaches, unauthorized access, and system compromise. The public disclosure of the exploit (VDB-221453) increases the risk profile significantly as threat actors can readily leverage existing attack vectors without requiring additional reconnaissance or development efforts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to encompass complete system compromise and business disruption. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could gain access to employee task records, personal information, system credentials, and potentially escalate privileges to administrative levels within the database. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the application appears to be a task management system, which likely contains sensitive business data, employee information, and operational details that could be leveraged for further attacks or business disruption. This vulnerability directly maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1071.004 application layer protocol and T1213.002 data from information repositories, as the exploitation involves manipulating application interfaces to extract data from database systems. Organizations running this specific version of the Employee Task Management System face immediate risk of unauthorized data access and potential system takeover.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-0904 must prioritize immediate remediation through proper input validation, parameterized queries, and application code review. The most effective immediate solution involves implementing proper sql parameterization techniques to ensure that user input cannot be interpreted as sql commands, which aligns with CWE-1070 secure coding practices for preventing sql injection. Organizations should also implement web application firewalls to detect and block malicious sql injection attempts, apply input sanitization filters to validate task_id parameters, and conduct thorough code reviews to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The vulnerability's public disclosure necessitates urgent patching or mitigation implementation, as the exploit is readily available to threat actors. Additionally, implementing database access controls, regular security audits, and monitoring for unusual database access patterns can help detect exploitation attempts. System administrators should also consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regular database backups to minimize impact should exploitation occur. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of secure coding practices and the necessity of regular security assessments in preventing exploitation of known vulnerabilities in web applications.