CVE-2023-4184 in Inventory Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 08/06/2023
A vulnerability was found in SourceCodester Inventory Management System 1.0 and classified as critical. This issue affects some unknown processing of the file sell_return.php. The manipulation of the argument pid leads to sql injection. The attack may be initiated remotely. The associated identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-236219.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/30/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-4184 represents a critical sql injection flaw within the SourceCodester Inventory Management System version 1.0. This system, designed for inventory tracking and management, contains a dangerous weakness in its sell_return.php file that allows malicious actors to execute arbitrary sql commands. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization of the pid parameter, which serves as a critical processing argument within the application's data handling routines. Security researchers have classified this issue as critical due to its potential for severe data compromise and system exploitation.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the pid argument within the sell_return.php file, where user-supplied input directly influences sql query construction without proper sanitization or parameterization. This flaw falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-89, which specifically addresses sql injection vulnerabilities where untrusted data is incorporated into sql commands without adequate protection mechanisms. The attack vector is remotely accessible, meaning that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from external networks without requiring physical access or local system credentials. The VDB-236219 identifier confirms this vulnerability's recognition within security databases and its tracking by vulnerability management systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to access, modify, or delete sensitive inventory data, customer information, and potentially gain administrative privileges within the system. The remote nature of the attack means that organizations running this inventory management system face exposure to attacks from anywhere on the internet, creating a significant risk for businesses relying on this software for their operational continuity. The vulnerability's critical classification indicates that it could be easily exploited by automated attack tools, making it particularly dangerous for unpatched systems. Organizations may experience complete system compromise, data breaches, and regulatory compliance violations that could result in substantial financial and reputational damage.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-4184 should prioritize immediate patching of the SourceCodester Inventory Management System to the latest version that addresses this sql injection vulnerability. System administrators must implement proper input validation and parameterized queries throughout the application to prevent similar issues in the future. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be configured to limit access to the inventory management system, particularly restricting direct internet access to the vulnerable file paths. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and regular security scanning can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security audits of their inventory management systems and other business-critical applications to identify similar vulnerabilities that may exist in their infrastructure. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to industry standards such as those defined in the owasp top ten and the cwe top 25 to prevent sql injection and other common web application security flaws.