External risk intelligence

Projectworlds Online Admission System SQL Injection

CVE advisorySeverity: CRITICAL (CVSS 9.1)

CVE-2024-51060

The vulnerability exists in an Online Admission System, which is typically deployed as a public-facing web application intended to be accessed over the internet by students or applicants to submit information.

SQL Injection

Projectworlds Online Admission 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 advisory concerns a critical vulnerability within the Projectworlds Online Admission System. The flaw allows attackers to potentially access or modify sensitive information without proper authorization by exploiting how the system processes data inputs. The primary concern is confirming whether this specific system is in use within our environment and, if so, understanding the potential exposure.

Critical flaw in admission system data handling.
Matters if we use this specific admission system.
Confirm relevance and assess exposure to this risk.

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An attacker could target the Projectworlds Online Admission System by sending specially crafted requests to the `index.php` page. By manipulating the `a_id` parameter, an attacker can exploit a SQL injection vulnerability. This could allow them to read sensitive data from the system.

Publicly accessible system.
`a_id` parameter in `index.php`.
Unauthorized data access.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

This vulnerability in the Projectworlds Online Admission System could allow an unauthenticated attacker to inject malicious SQL code into the system through the 'a_id' parameter. If successful, this could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information stored within the system's database, impacting data integrity and confidentiality.

Database information.
Via parameter injection.
Unauthorized data access.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

This SQL injection vulnerability in Projectworlds Online Admission System requires immediate attention from teams managing public-facing web applications. The first step is to locate all instances of this system, confirm their accessibility from the internet, and assess their business criticality. Subsequently, identify the application owner or responsible team to plan and execute remediation, which may involve vendor coordination or a security update.

Application owners must manage remediation.
Verify system internet exposure and criticality.
Plan risk-based updates or vendor engagement.

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 Projectworlds Online Admission System?

The Projectworlds Online Admission System is a web-based application designed to manage the student enrollment process. It serves as a portal where prospective students or applicants input their personal data and qualifications to apply for institutional programs. Because it handles sensitive applicant records, it typically functions as an interactive database front-end that processes various user-submitted inputs to store and retrieve registration information.

What does SQL Injection mean for CVE-2024-51060?

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-89, which is the weakness identifier for Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command. In plain English, the application fails to properly filter the data a user sends to it. An attacker can input malicious database commands instead of expected information, tricking the system into executing those commands. This allows them to bypass intended security controls to view or alter records stored within the backend database.

How can an attacker trigger this vulnerability?

An attacker triggers this flaw by sending a specifically crafted request to the 'index.php' file, focusing on the 'a_id' parameter. By embedding SQL syntax into this input field, they can manipulate the database query executed by the application. Importantly, this issue relies on the application's failure to sanitize the 'a_id' input; it is not triggered by standard, legitimate user interactions that provide valid identifier formats to that same parameter.

Why is this CVE considered relevant for my organization?

According to Halo Surface Signal, this vulnerability is particularly relevant because the software is designed as a public-facing web application. Since the system is intended to be accessed over the internet for student submissions, it is frequently exposed to external networks. If your organization hosts this system, the lack of authentication required to exploit this flaw makes it a priority for assessing potential unauthorized access to your applicant database.

Do I need to update my servers to fix this?

Your first step is to confirm if this specific version of the Online Admission System is running in your environment. Since this is a custom application vulnerability, check for any available security updates from the vendor. If no update exists, coordinate with your application owners to restrict access to the affected 'index.php' page, assess the system's business criticality, and determine if moving the application to a more secure or internal-only segment is necessary.

References

github.com/0x1c1ph3r/CVEs/tree/main/CVE-2024-51060

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.