External risk intelligence

PHPGurukul Online Shopping Portal SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE advisorySeverity: CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8)

CVE-2024-44659

The vulnerability exists in an online shopping portal, which is a type of web application typically designed to be deployed as an internet-facing service to facilitate public commerce and user access.

SQL Injection

Phpgurukul Online Shopping Portal

2.0

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

A critical vulnerability has been identified in PHPGurukul's Online Shopping Portal version 2.0, allowing unauthorized access and manipulation of data through a SQL injection flaw in the password reset function. This issue affects a web application designed for public e-commerce.

Allows data theft and corruption.
Critical flaw in public-facing e-commerce.
Confirm relevance and review exposure.

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted input to the email parameter in the forgot-password.php script. This script is accessible to anyone on the internet, allowing an unauthenticated attacker to potentially gain control of user accounts and compromise the entire online shopping portal.

No authentication required.
Submit malicious email address.
Full system compromise possible.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

This vulnerability could allow an attacker to manipulate database queries through the email parameter when a user requests to reset their password. This could lead to unauthorized access to or modification of the shopping portal's data.

Sensitive customer and business data.
Through the forgot-password feature.
Database compromise and data exposure.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

The PHPGurukul Online Shopping Portal, specifically version 2.0, presents a critical SQL injection risk through its forgot-password functionality. Given its nature as an internet-facing application, ownership likely falls to application or web platform teams responsible for its availability and security. The immediate priority is to locate all instances of this portal within the environment, assess their exposure and criticality, and then coordinate a phased remediation plan with the vendor or responsible application owners to mitigate risk effectively.

Application owners should manage remediation.
Verify internet-facing instances first.
Plan vendor coordination and patching.

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 PHPGurukul Online Shopping Portal?

PHPGurukul Online Shopping Portal is a web-based application built with PHP. It provides foundational e-commerce features like product listings, user account management, and checkout workflows. It is typically deployed as a self-hosted platform to enable online retail operations and customer engagement.

What is the SQL injection vulnerability in CVE-2024-44659?

This vulnerability, classified as CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command), means the application fails to properly sanitize user input. Because of this, an attacker can submit malicious database commands instead of a standard email address, allowing them to bypass security controls and interact directly with the underlying database.

How does an attacker trigger this vulnerability?

An attacker triggers this flaw by inputting specially crafted data into the email field within the forgot-password.php script. The vulnerability exists specifically in this password recovery flow; it is not triggered by standard site navigation or routine customer purchases. Because the input is processed without adequate filtering, the database executes the attacker's unintended commands.

Is my instance of this software at risk?

According to Halo Surface Signal, this vulnerability is highly relevant because the portal is an internet-facing web application. Since it is designed to be accessible to the public for commerce, it is likely exposed to external networks. Any instance of version 2.0 connected to the internet should be considered a potential target for unauthorized data access.

Do I need to take action if I run this portal?

Yes, prioritize identifying all instances of version 2.0 within your infrastructure. Since this flaw allows for full system compromise, verify which instances are reachable from the internet. Coordinate with your application owners to restrict access, review the vendor's site for updates, and develop a remediation plan to secure the database interface.

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.