External risk intelligence

Sourcecodester Attendance and Payroll System SQL Injection Authentication Bypass

CVE advisorySeverity: CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8)

CVE-2021-44088

This software is a web-based attendance and payroll application. Such systems are commonly deployed as web applications accessible to users over a network, and because the vulnerability resides in the login parameters, it affects the primary entry point typically exposed for employee or administrative access.

SQL Injection

Attendance And Payroll System Project Attendance And Payroll System

1.0

Halo Surface Signal: 4 out of 5 — likely to be public-facing.

External exposure likelihood

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

This critical vulnerability affects the Sourcecodester Attendance and Payroll System, allowing unauthorized remote access by bypassing login authentication. The primary concern is confirming whether this specific system is in use and, if so, understanding its potential exposure.

Unsanitized login data allows unauthorized access.
Critical systems require diligent security oversight.
Confirm system relevance and exposure.

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted login requests over the network to the attendance and payroll system. Because the system does not properly validate the input in these requests, an attacker can inject malicious SQL code. This allows them to bypass the login process and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or manipulate system functions.

No authentication needed.
Log in with SQL injection.
Unauthorized access to data.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

A SQL injection vulnerability in the attendance and payroll system could allow an unauthenticated attacker to bypass login controls. This may occur when unsanitized login parameters are processed, potentially exposing system and user data.

Login credentials and system data.
Via unsanitized login parameters.
Unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

System owners and application administrators are most likely responsible for addressing this critical SQL injection vulnerability in the Attendance and Payroll System. The first practical step is to locate all instances of this system within the environment, determine its network accessibility and business criticality, identify the specific team or individual accountable for its management, and then plan remediation efforts based on the assessed risk.

Confirm system inventory and owner.
Verify system reachability and criticality.
Plan remediation based on risk.

Supplementary metadata

CVSS vector

Validate whether this threat affects your internet-facing exposure.

Halo Threat Intelligence helps prioritize remediation with Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context. Start exposure validation with a free external attack surface trial.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Sourcecodester Attendance and Payroll System?

This software is a web-based application designed to manage employee attendance tracking and payroll processing. Organizations typically use it as a centralized platform for handling sensitive personnel records and financial data, often deploying it as a networked web service to allow employees or administrators to log in and perform daily tasks.

What does CVE-2021-44088 mean for this system?

CVE-2021-44088 identifies an SQL Injection weakness, classified as CWE-89. This means the application fails to properly clean or sanitize the data entered into its login fields. Because of this, an attacker can input malicious database commands instead of a username or password, tricking the system into bypassing its security checks and granting unauthorized access.

How does an attacker trigger this vulnerability?

An attacker triggers this bug by submitting specially crafted inputs into the application's login parameters over the network. This does not require a valid user account or password to execute. However, simply browsing the site or performing standard administrative tasks without crafting these specific malicious SQL inputs will not trigger the vulnerability.

Do I need to worry about this if my system is internal?

According to Halo Surface Signal, because this software is a web-based application, it is frequently deployed where users can access it over a network. While internet-facing instances are at the highest risk, any system accessible via a network is a potential target. You should determine if your specific installation is reachable by unauthorized parties or is otherwise segmented from your broader network.

When should I take action to secure the software?

You should prioritize this immediately by locating all instances of the application in your environment. Confirm who is responsible for managing the software, assess whether it is reachable over your network, and determine its importance to your operations. Once you have identified these systems, you can move forward with planning necessary remediation to prevent unauthorized data access.

References

Written by Nicholas Merritt

Nicholas Merritt is VP of Security Solutions at Halo Security. With more than 25 years across application security, vulnerability prioritization, and offensive security, he helps teams translate threat data into practical exposure validation and remediation focus. He authors Halo Threat Intelligence CVE advisories using Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context to prioritize internet-facing risk.