CVE-2024-1928 in Web-Based Student Clearance System
Summary
by MITRE • 02/29/2024
A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, has been found in SourceCodester Web-Based Student Clearance System 1.0. Affected by this issue is some unknown functionality of the file /admin/edit-admin.php of the component Edit User Profile Page. The manipulation of the argument Fullname leads to sql injection. The attack may be launched remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-254864.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/18/2024
This critical sql injection vulnerability exists in the SourceCodester Web-Based Student Clearance System version 1.0, specifically within the administrative interface component responsible for user profile management. The flaw is located in the /admin/edit-admin.php file where the Fullname parameter is improperly handled during database operations, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary sql commands against the underlying database system. The vulnerability's classification as critical indicates the potential for severe data compromise and system exploitation, as sql injection attacks can enable attackers to extract sensitive information, modify database records, or even gain elevated privileges within the application's database environment. This particular weakness demonstrates a fundamental failure in input validation and output encoding practices that violates established security principles for web application development.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through remote manipulation of the Fullname argument in the edit-admin.php endpoint, allowing attackers to inject malicious sql payloads that bypass normal authentication and authorization mechanisms. When the application processes user input without proper sanitization or parameterized queries, the sql injection attack can succeed in executing unauthorized database operations. This specific attack vector represents a classic sql injection flaw that aligns with CWE-89, which categorizes improper neutralization of special elements used in sql commands as a primary weakness in software applications. The vulnerability's disclosure status as VDB-254864 indicates that the exploit details are publicly available, significantly increasing the risk to systems that have not yet been patched or mitigated.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to manipulate student records, access administrative credentials, or potentially disrupt the entire student clearance system operations. The remote attack capability means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the target network, making it particularly dangerous for web-based educational systems that handle sensitive personal and academic data. Organizations running this software face significant compliance risks, as the vulnerability could lead to violations of data protection regulations such as gdpr, fERPA, or other privacy legislation that governs student information handling. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that this vulnerability affects the administrative component, potentially providing attackers with elevated privileges that could compromise the entire system's integrity and availability.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of the vulnerable application, implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries to prevent sql injection attacks, and establishing network segmentation to limit access to administrative functions. Security teams should also implement web application firewalls and database activity monitoring to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The remediation process must include thorough code review of all input handling mechanisms, particularly those involving database interactions, and adherence to secure coding practices as outlined in the owasp top ten and mitre attack framework. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify similar weaknesses in other components and ensure that all database operations properly utilize prepared statements or parameterized queries to eliminate sql injection risks. Regular security testing and penetration testing should be implemented to verify that the mitigations remain effective against evolving attack techniques and to maintain a robust security posture against similar vulnerabilities in the future.