CVE-2024-42572 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 unitmarks.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/22/2024
The School Management System vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-42572 represents a critical security flaw that exposes educational institutions to potential data breaches and system compromise. This vulnerability resides within the unitmarks.php component of the system, where user input is improperly sanitized before being incorporated into database queries. The medium parameter serves as the attack vector, allowing malicious actors to manipulate database operations through crafted input sequences that can bypass normal authentication and authorization mechanisms.
This SQL injection vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-89, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands. The flaw enables attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database system, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive student information, academic records, grades, and administrative data. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data theft as it can facilitate complete system compromise through database manipulation and potential privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe for educational institutions that rely on digital management systems for their core operations. Attackers can exploit this flaw to extract confidential information including student personal details, academic performance records, and institutional administrative data. The vulnerability also poses risks for data integrity, as malicious actors could modify or delete critical academic records, potentially disrupting the educational process and compromising academic fairness. Additionally, the presence of such a vulnerability may lead to regulatory compliance violations under data protection laws and educational privacy regulations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-42572 should focus on implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection attacks. Organizations should immediately apply patches or updates provided by the software vendor to address this vulnerability. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure, while regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities. The implementation of web application firewalls and database activity monitoring systems can provide additional layers of protection. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190 which describes exploitation of remote services, and T1071.004 which covers application layer protocols, particularly focusing on web application attacks that target database interfaces. Organizations should also consider implementing database privilege management to limit the impact of potential successful attacks and establish incident response procedures to address potential exploitation attempts.