CVE-2023-51801
📋 TL;DR
This SQL injection vulnerability in Simple Student Attendance System v1.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the id parameter in student_form.php and class_form.php pages. Attackers can potentially read, modify, or delete database content, and in some configurations execute operating system commands. Any organization using this software is affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Simple Student Attendance System
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise including database destruction, remote code execution on the server, and lateral movement to other systems.
Likely Case
Database information theft (student records, credentials), data manipulation, and potential privilege escalation.
If Mitigated
Limited to database information disclosure if proper input validation and parameterized queries are implemented.
🎯 Exploit Status
Public exploit code available on GitHub. SQL injection is straightforward with no authentication required.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Not available
Vendor Advisory: Not available
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Replace vulnerable code with parameterized queries
2. Implement input validation for id parameter
3. Escape all user inputs before database queries
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Web Application Firewall (WAF)
allDeploy WAF rules to block SQL injection patterns in id parameter
Input Validation Filter
allAdd PHP input validation to restrict id parameter to numeric values only
if(!is_numeric($_GET['id'])) { die('Invalid input'); }
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate the system behind a reverse proxy with strict input validation
- Implement network segmentation to limit database access from the application server
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Test student_form.php?id=1' OR '1'='1 and check for SQL errors or unexpected behaviorCheck Version:
Check PHP files for version information or consult installation documentationVerify Fix Applied:
Test with SQL injection payloads and verify they are rejected or properly handled📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- SQL syntax errors in application logs
- Unusual database queries with special characters in id parameter
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests with SQL injection patterns in id parameter
- Unusual database connection patterns
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND (uri="*student_form.php*" OR uri="*class_form.php*") AND (query="*id=*'*" OR query="*id=*%27*")