CVE-2024-3442 in Prison Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 04/08/2024
A vulnerability classified as critical has been found in SourceCodester Prison Management System 1.0. This affects an unknown part of the file /Employee/delete_leave.php. The manipulation leads to sql injection. It is possible to initiate the attack remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The associated identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-259695.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/11/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-3442 represents a critical sql injection flaw within the SourceCodester Prison Management System version 1.0, specifically impacting the /Employee/delete_leave.php file. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-89, which specifically addresses sql injection weaknesses that occur when user input is improperly sanitized before being incorporated into sql queries. The vulnerability's critical classification indicates a severe risk to system integrity and data confidentiality, particularly within a prison management environment where sensitive personal and operational data is handled.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through remote manipulation of the delete_leave.php endpoint, allowing attackers to inject malicious sql code that can be executed within the database context. This remote attack vector significantly broadens the threat surface, as it does not require physical access to the system or local network privileges. The vulnerability's disclosure status, as indicated by the VDB-259695 identifier, suggests that the exploit techniques have been made publicly available, increasing the likelihood of successful attacks by malicious actors who may not possess advanced technical skills. The attack chain typically involves sending crafted input parameters through the web interface that are then directly incorporated into sql queries without proper sanitization or parameterization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as sql injection attacks can enable complete database compromise, allowing unauthorized users to view, modify, or delete sensitive information. Within a prison management system context, this could expose confidential inmate records, staff information, security protocols, and operational details that could be leveraged for criminal activities or unauthorized access to restricted areas. The potential for privilege escalation exists, as successful sql injection could provide attackers with administrative access to the entire system. According to the ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1190 (Exploit Public-Facing Application) and T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS), as attackers may utilize public-facing web interfaces to exploit the system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must be implemented immediately through multiple defensive layers. The primary remediation involves implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries throughout the application code, specifically within the delete_leave.php file and similar endpoints. Database access controls should be reviewed and restricted to prevent unauthorized data manipulation, while the principle of least privilege should be enforced across all system components. Network-level protections including web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems should be configured to monitor for sql injection patterns and block suspicious requests. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities throughout the application. The system should also implement proper error handling that does not expose database structure information to end users, as this information can aid attackers in developing more sophisticated exploitation techniques. Additionally, implementing automated security scanning tools and maintaining up-to-date security patches for the underlying database and web server components will help reduce the overall attack surface and protect against similar vulnerabilities that may exist in other parts of the system architecture.