CVE-2024-25213 in Employee Managment System
Summary
by MITRE • 02/14/2024
Employee Managment System v1.0 was discovered to contain a SQL injection vulnerability via the id parameter at /edit.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/09/2025
The Employee Management System version 1.0 contains a critical SQL injection vulnerability that poses significant security risks to organizations utilizing this software. This vulnerability specifically affects the edit.php page where the id parameter is processed without proper input validation or sanitization, creating an exploitable entry point for malicious actors. The flaw allows attackers to inject arbitrary SQL commands into the database query execution flow, potentially enabling full database compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive employee information. Such vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where employee management systems store confidential data including personal identification numbers, salary information, and employment records that are subject to privacy regulations and compliance requirements.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate parameter handling within the application's database interaction layer. When the id parameter is passed to the edit.php endpoint, the application directly incorporates user-supplied input into SQL query construction without proper escaping or parameterization techniques. This primitive approach to database query building violates fundamental security principles and creates a direct pathway for attackers to manipulate the underlying database structure. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89 which specifically addresses improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands, representing one of the most prevalent and dangerous classes of web application vulnerabilities. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that manipulate the SQL query execution, potentially leading to data extraction, modification, or deletion of critical employee records.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise and persistent unauthorized access. An attacker who successfully exploits this SQL injection vulnerability can potentially escalate privileges within the database, extract all employee records, modify access controls, or even gain administrative access to the entire application. This vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the employee management system, potentially violating data protection regulations such as gdpr, hipaa, or other applicable compliance frameworks. Organizations may face significant financial penalties, reputational damage, and legal consequences if employee data is compromised through such vulnerabilities. The attack surface is particularly concerning as it affects a core administrative function that likely requires elevated privileges and contains sensitive operational data that could be leveraged for further attacks within the organization's network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of parameterized queries or prepared statements to prevent SQL injection attacks, along with comprehensive input validation and sanitization of all user-supplied parameters. Organizations should also implement proper access controls and authentication mechanisms to limit exposure to unauthorized users. The fix involves modifying the edit.php script to use proper database parameterization techniques that separate SQL command structure from data values, ensuring that user input is never directly executed as part of SQL queries. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts. Regular security testing including automated vulnerability scanning and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities throughout the application codebase. The remediation process should follow established security frameworks such as those outlined in the mitre attack framework where sql injection is categorized as a common technique for initial access and privilege escalation. Organizations should also consider implementing database activity monitoring and logging to detect potential exploitation attempts and maintain audit trails for compliance purposes.