Introduction
The Online Piggery Management System (OPMS) is a web-based application designed to help farmers and businesses manage their piggery operations more effectively. In June 2023, a severe security flaw, CVE-2023-37628, was discovered in OPMS version 1.. This vulnerability allows attackers to perform SQL injection attacks, putting sensitive data and the integrity of the entire system at risk.

In this exclusive post, we’ll break down what CVE-2023-37628 is, how it can be exploited, and offer a simplified demonstration using real code snippets. We’ll also provide official references for deeper study. Our goal is to make this easy to grasp, even for those just getting started with cybersecurity.

What is CVE-2023-37628?

CVE-2023-37628 is an identifier assigned to a SQL Injection vulnerability found in the Online Piggery Management System version 1.. The problem occurs because certain input fields are not secured properly—malicious input can manipulate the database queries.

What’s SQL Injection?
SQL Injection is a web security issue where attackers can insert or "inject" SQL commands into a query. Unsanitized input allows attackers to read sensitive data from the database, modify it, or even delete everything.

The Vulnerable Code

The vulnerable code lies in the handling of user-supplied input within register.php—specifically, the username field is directly included in an SQL query, without sanitization or preparation.

Here’s a simplified version of the vulnerable code from register.php

<?php
include('db_connect.php');
if(isset($_POST['register'])) {
    $username = $_POST['username'];
    $password = md5($_POST['password']); // Obsolete way, but common here

    // VULNERABLE SQL QUERY
    $query = "INSERT INTO users (username, password) VALUES ('$username', '$password')";
    $result = mysqli_query($conn, $query);

    if($result) {
        echo "User registered!";
    } else {
        echo "Registration failed!";
    }
}
?>

The vulnerability arises because the $username variable is never sanitized or parameterized.

How Can It Be Exploited?

An attacker can submit a crafted username to manipulate the SQL query. For example, entering the following as the username:

attacker', 'maliciouspass'); --

The resulting query becomes

INSERT INTO users (username, password) VALUES ('attacker', 'maliciouspass'); -- ', '[md5-hash]')

Here, everything after the double dash -- is treated as a comment in SQL, which can break intended functionality or cause unauthorized data manipulation.

A Practical Exploitation Example

Using a simple tool like Burp Suite or curl, an attacker could send a POST request like the following:

curl -d "username=admin' -- &password=test123&register=1" http://target-site/opms/register.php

This might allow the attacker to bypass certain logic or even inject additional SQL commands if the query is more complex.

Account Hijacking: The attacker could create accounts with escalated privileges.

- Database Dumping: Attackers could retrieve the entire user table, revealing usernames and hashed passwords.

How to Fix It?

1. Use Prepared Statements:
Never concatenate user input directly into SQL queries.

Here’s how you should rewrite the database interaction

$stmt = $conn->prepare("INSERT INTO users (username, password) VALUES (?, ?)");
$stmt->bind_param("ss", $username, $password);
$stmt->execute();

2. Sanitize & Validate Input:
Always validate all user input, even if prepared statements are in use.

3. Update Password Hashing:
Move from md5() to password_hash() for storing passwords securely.

Official References

- CVE-2023-37628 on VulDB
- Exploit Database Entry
- Mitre CVE Details
- Online Piggery Management System 1. Download

Final Words

SQL Injection, as seen in CVE-2023-37628, remains a top web application threat, especially in smaller or open-source projects lacking robust development practices. If you use OPMS 1. or similar software, patch immediately—review all code that processes user input, and switch to prepared statements.

Stay safe, and remember: Never trust user input!

*This post was crafted exclusively for educational purposes. Always get permission before testing systems for vulnerabilities.*

Timeline

Published on: 07/12/2023 17:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 07/20/2023 02:07:00 UTC