CVE-2024-41247 in Responsive School Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 08/07/2024
An Incorrect Access Control vulnerability was found in /smsa/add_class.php and /smsa/add_class_submit.php in Kashipara Responsive School Management System v3.2.0, which allows remote unauthenticated attackers to add a new class entry.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-41247 represents a critical Incorrect Access Control flaw within the Kashipara Responsive School Management System version 3.2.0. This vulnerability specifically affects two PHP script files located at /smsa/add_class.php and /smsa/add_class_submit.php, which are part of the system's administrative functionality for managing class entries. The flaw stems from insufficient authentication and authorization checks that should normally prevent unauthorized users from accessing administrative functions. According to CWE-285, this vulnerability falls under the category of improper access control where the application fails to properly verify that an actor has sufficient privileges to perform a requested operation, creating a pathway for unauthorized modification of system data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows remote unauthenticated attackers to exploit the system by directly accessing the add_class.php and add_class_submit.php endpoints without requiring any valid login credentials or administrative privileges. When an attacker accesses these pages, they can submit class entries that will be processed and stored within the school management system database. This represents a significant security gap because the system should enforce strict authentication mechanisms before allowing any administrative operations to proceed. The vulnerability exists due to missing or improperly implemented access control checks that should validate user credentials and authorization levels before permitting class creation functionality.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data modification, as it provides attackers with the ability to inject potentially malicious class information into the school management system. This could lead to various downstream security implications including data integrity compromise, disruption of educational services, and potential escalation to other system components. Attackers could create fraudulent class entries that might affect student enrollment processes, scheduling systems, or other interconnected functionalities within the school management platform. The vulnerability also represents a potential vector for information disclosure attacks where attackers might gather sensitive educational data through manipulated class entries or by leveraging the compromised system to access other system components.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1078 Valid Accounts for maintaining persistence and T1566 Phishing for initial access, while also representing a direct violation of the principle of least privilege. Organizations implementing this system would be at risk of unauthorized modifications that could significantly impact their educational operations and data security posture. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not need physical access to the system or network, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely on web-based school management solutions. The lack of proper access control mechanisms in these administrative endpoints creates a persistent security weakness that could be exploited for extended periods without detection, potentially allowing attackers to establish long-term presence within the system.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper authentication and authorization controls for all administrative endpoints, including the specific files mentioned in the vulnerability. Organizations should immediately apply patches or updates provided by the vendor to address the access control flaw, while also implementing network segmentation to limit access to administrative functions. Additional security measures include enforcing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts, implementing web application firewalls to monitor and filter access to sensitive endpoints, and conducting regular security audits to identify similar vulnerabilities in other system components. The system should also be configured with proper input validation and sanitization to prevent injection attacks that could be combined with this access control flaw to further compromise the system's integrity and confidentiality.