CVE-2024-42569 in School Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 08/20/2024
School Management System commit bae5aa was discovered to contain a SQL injection vulnerability via the medium parameter at paidclass.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/21/2024
The School Management System version containing commit bae5aa presents a critical SQL injection vulnerability that directly impacts the application's database security posture. This vulnerability exists within the paidclass.php script where user input from the medium parameter is improperly sanitized before being incorporated into database queries. The flaw represents a classic insecure direct object reference pattern where external input flows directly into SQL execution contexts without adequate validation or parameterization.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to employ proper input sanitization mechanisms or prepared statements when processing the medium parameter. Attackers can exploit this weakness by injecting malicious SQL payloads through the medium parameter, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive database information including student records, financial data, and administrative credentials. The vulnerability falls under CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws in software applications and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190 targeting exploitation of vulnerabilities in web applications.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to educational institutions as it could enable attackers to extract confidential information from the school management database. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to potential system compromise and regulatory violations under data protection laws such as GDPR or FERPA. An attacker could manipulate database contents, create unauthorized user accounts, or even escalate privileges within the system to achieve persistence. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that school management systems typically contain highly sensitive personal information about students, parents, and staff members.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries throughout the application codebase. All user inputs must be sanitized and validated before database interaction, with the medium parameter specifically requiring strict filtering to prevent SQL injection attempts. Organizations should deploy web application firewalls to detect and block malicious SQL injection patterns, while also implementing regular security code reviews and penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities. The fix should involve replacing direct string concatenation with prepared statements or stored procedures that properly separate SQL commands from data inputs, thereby eliminating the attack vector for this specific vulnerability.