CVE-2024-5048 in Budget Management
Summary
by MITRE • 05/17/2024
A vulnerability classified as critical was found in code-projects Budget Management 1.0. Affected by this vulnerability is an unknown functionality of the file /index.php. The manipulation of the argument edit leads to sql injection. The attack can be launched remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The identifier VDB-264745 was assigned to this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2025
This critical vulnerability exists within the code-projects Budget Management 1.0 application where an sql injection flaw has been identified in the /index.php file through manipulation of the edit parameter. The vulnerability represents a severe security weakness that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary sql commands against the database backend. The attack vector is accessible over the network without requiring any authentication or privileged access, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by anyone with access to the application interface. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization of user-supplied data, specifically the edit parameter that is directly incorporated into sql queries without proper escaping or parameterization mechanisms. This flaw falls under the category of CWE-89 sql injection as defined by the common weakness enumeration framework, which represents one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application vulnerabilities. The attack can be launched remotely through web requests that manipulate the edit parameter to inject malicious sql payloads, potentially allowing attackers to extract sensitive data, modify database records, or even gain complete control over the database server. The public disclosure of this exploit, as indicated by the VDB-264745 identifier, means that threat actors can readily leverage this vulnerability without requiring advanced technical skills. The operational impact extends beyond simple data theft as attackers could potentially escalate privileges, create backdoors, or perform destructive operations on the database. The vulnerability directly violates several security principles including input validation, least privilege, and defense in depth as outlined in the mitre ATT&CK framework where this weakness maps to the technique of sql injection. Organizations using this budget management application face significant risk of data breaches, compliance violations, and potential financial losses. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental lack of proper database security practices where dynamic sql queries are constructed using user input without adequate protection mechanisms such as prepared statements or stored procedures. The exploitability of this vulnerability is heightened by the fact that it operates through a standard web interface, making it accessible to attackers with basic knowledge of web application exploitation techniques.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates poor coding practices where user input is directly concatenated into sql queries rather than being properly parameterized. When an attacker submits a request with a malicious edit parameter, the application processes this input without sanitizing it against sql metacharacters or reserved words. This creates opportunities for attackers to inject sql commands that can manipulate the database structure or extract confidential information. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can target this vulnerability from anywhere on the internet without needing physical access to the system or network. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the budget management system, potentially compromising all financial data stored in the database. Attackers could leverage this flaw to perform unauthorized data access, data modification, or even complete database compromise. The exploit's public availability significantly increases the risk exposure as it eliminates the need for sophisticated attack development and makes the vulnerability accessible to a broader range of threat actors. This vulnerability represents a clear violation of secure coding practices and demonstrates inadequate security testing during the development lifecycle. The impact extends beyond immediate data compromise to include potential regulatory penalties under data protection laws such as gdpr or pci dss compliance requirements. Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including input validation, parameterized queries, and web application firewalls to protect against exploitation of this vulnerability. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify similar weaknesses in other applications within the organization's infrastructure. Proper security training for developers regarding sql injection prevention techniques would have prevented this vulnerability from being introduced into the codebase. The exploitability of this vulnerability underscores the critical need for organizations to maintain up-to-date security patches and to implement comprehensive application security measures across all systems and applications.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should conduct immediate risk assessments to determine the full scope of potential compromise and implement layered security controls to protect against exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as critical indicates that immediate remediation is required to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive financial data. Security teams should prioritize patching or implementing compensating controls before the vulnerability can be exploited by malicious actors. The public disclosure of the exploit means that organizations cannot rely on the vulnerability remaining unknown, as it is already available in public exploit databases and security research repositories. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining current security practices and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against sql injection attacks. The attack surface for this vulnerability extends beyond the immediate application to potentially impact other systems that may share database connections or credentials. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure they can effectively respond to potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the need for continuous security monitoring and threat intelligence to identify and respond to newly disclosed exploits. Regular security audits and code reviews should be implemented to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other applications and systems within the organization's environment. The remediation process should include not only patching the specific vulnerability but also implementing comprehensive security controls such as input validation, output encoding, and database access controls to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future.