Attack Chain

1. The attacker identifies a CodePanda Source canteen_management_system version 1.0 instance accessible over the network.
2. The attacker sends a crafted HTTP POST request to /api/login.php with a malicious SQL payload in the Username parameter.
3. The application fails to properly sanitize the Username input before incorporating it into an SQL query.
4. The injected SQL code is executed against the application’s database.
5. The attacker uses SQL injection techniques such as UNION SELECT to extract sensitive data from the database.
6. The extracted data, which may include usernames, passwords, and other confidential information, is sent back to the attacker.
7. The attacker uses the compromised credentials to gain unauthorized access to the application’s administrative interface.

Impact

Successful exploitation of this SQL injection vulnerability could allow attackers to read sensitive data, modify existing records, or even execute arbitrary code on the database server. This could lead to a complete compromise of the application and its underlying data. Given the nature of a canteen management system, potential data breaches could include personal information of employees or customers, financial data related to transactions, and internal operational details. The impact may be amplified if the database stores other sensitive information, leading to significant financial and reputational damage.

Recommendation

• Inspect web server logs for POST requests to /api/login.php containing SQL syntax within the Username parameter to detect potential exploitation attempts (see example rule below).
• Apply input validation and sanitization to all user-supplied input, especially the Username parameter in /api/login.php, to prevent SQL injection.
• Monitor database logs for unusual or unauthorized SQL queries originating from the application to identify potential breaches resulting from SQL injection.