Overview
Today we are delving into a serious security flaw in the Student Attendance Management System v1, known by its CVE identifier as CVE-2023-41523. This vulnerability is a SQL injection attack that occurs via the emailAddress parameter in the createClassTeacher.php file. SQL injection is an old but still prevalent security vulnerability that can have serious ramifications if not addressed promptly. It affects the users of the Student Attendance Management System v1, and given the sensitive nature of data usually processed by this software, its discovery is of considerable concern.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2023-41523
Severity: High (8.8 CVSS score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Student Attendance Management System | v1
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability occurs in the createClassTeacher.php file, where the emailAddress parameter is not properly sanitized. This allows a malicious user to insert a SQL command into the emailAddress field, which is then executed by the database. This could allow an attacker to manipulate the SQL query, leading to unauthorized data access, manipulation, or even full database control.
Conceptual Example Code
An example of how the vulnerability might be exploited could look like this:
POST /createClassTeacher.php HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
emailAddress=testemail'; DROP TABLE Students;--&password=Password123In this example, the emailAddress parameter is injected with a SQL command `’; DROP TABLE Students;–` that, if executed, would delete the entire “Students” table from the database.
Mitigation Guidance
To prevent exploitation of this vulnerability, it is recommended to apply the patch provided by the vendor as soon as possible. If the patch cannot be applied immediately, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can be used as temporary mitigation. These systems can be configured to detect and block SQL injection attacks until the patch can be applied.
Remember, staying up-to-date with patches and using preventive measures like WAFs or IDS is an essential part of maintaining the security of your systems.