CVE-2024-6795

Executive Summary

CVE-2024-6795 is a critical SQL injection vulnerability in the Connex health portal, affecting all versions released before August 30, 2024. With a CVSS score of 10.0, this unauthenticated remote exploit allows attackers to modify, disclose, or destroy database contents, including performing administrative operations such as shutting down the database. No public proof-of-concept or patch is currently available, making this a high-priority zero-day risk for healthcare organizations using the Connex portal.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

• Attack Vector (AV): Network (N) – Exploitable remotely.
• Attack Complexity (AC): Low (L) – No special conditions required.
• Privileges Required (PR): None (N) – No authentication needed.
• User Interaction (UI): None (N) – No user action required.
• Scope (S): Unchanged (U) – Vulnerability does not affect other components.
• Confidentiality Impact (C): High (H) – Full database disclosure.
• Integrity Impact (I): High (H) – Data modification possible.
• Availability Impact (A): High (H) – Database can be shut down.

Threat Level: Critical – Immediate action required for any exposed Connex portal instances.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability resides in the Connex health portal’s web application layer, where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being used in SQL queries. An unauthenticated attacker can craft a malicious payload (e.g., via HTTP GET/POST parameters) that bypasses input validation and executes arbitrary SQL commands against the backend database. This can lead to:

• Data Exfiltration: Extraction of patient health records, login credentials, and other sensitive data.
• Data Manipulation: Unauthorized modification or deletion of records.
• Denial of Service: Execution of commands like SHUTDOWN or resource-intensive queries to crash the database.

The lack of parameterized queries or prepared statements in the portal’s codebase is the root cause. The EPSS score of 0.0% suggests low exploitation activity currently, but the high CVSS score indicates significant potential for weaponization.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Since no patch or source code is available, the following example illustrates the vulnerable pattern:

Vulnerable Code (Conceptual):

$username = $_GET['user'];
$query = "SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = '$username'";
$result = mysqli_query($conn, $query);

Patched Code (Conceptual):

$username = $_GET['user'];
$stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = ?");
$stmt->bind_param("s", $username);
$stmt->execute();
$result = $stmt->get_result();

The fix requires using parameterized queries or stored procedures to separate SQL logic from user input.

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team (Attack Simulation)

1. Reconnaissance: Identify Connex portal endpoints (e.g., /login, /search, /patient).
2. Payload Injection: Use a tool like sqlmap to automate injection:

   sqlmap -u "http://target.com/portal?user=admin" --batch --dbs
   

3. Manual Payload Example:

   ' OR '1'='1' -- 
   

4. Database Shutdown:

   '; SHUTDOWN; --
   

Lab Setup:

• Deploy a local instance of Connex portal (if available) or a mock PHP/MySQL application.
• Use Burp Suite or OWASP ZAP to intercept and modify requests.
• Test with sqlmap in a controlled environment.

Blue Team (Defense & Detection)

• Web Application Firewall (WAF): Block requests containing SQL keywords (UNION, SELECT, SHUTDOWN).
• Input Validation: Enforce strict whitelisting on all user inputs.
• Database Monitoring: Alert on unusual queries (e.g., SHUTDOWN, DROP TABLE).
• Network Segmentation: Isolate the database server from direct internet access.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• Network Traffic:
  • HTTP requests with SQL keywords in parameters (e.g., ?user=admin' OR '1'='1).
  • Outbound database connections from the web server to unknown IPs.
• Logs:
  • Database error logs showing syntax errors or failed queries.
  • Web server logs with repeated 400 or 500 errors from the same IP.
• File System:
  • Unexpected files in the web root (e.g., cmd.aspx, shell.php).
• Database:
  • New user accounts or tables created by unauthorized queries.

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2024_6795_SQLi_Connex {
    meta:
        description = "Detects SQL injection attempts targeting Connex health portal"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        cve = "CVE-2024-6795"
    strings:
        $s1 = "UNION" nocase
        $s2 = "SELECT" nocase
        $s3 = "SHUTDOWN" nocase
        $s4 = "OR 1=1" nocase
        $s5 = "admin' --" nocase
    condition:
        any of ($s1, $s2, $s3, $s4, $s5)
}

Sigma Rule

title: SQL Injection Attempt Against Connex Portal
id: 8f3a2b1c-5d6e-7f8a-9b0c-1d2e3f4a5b6c
status: experimental
description: Detects SQL injection patterns in HTTP requests to Connex health portal
author: Valters IT
logsource:
    category: webserver
    product: apache
detection:
    selection:
        c-uri|contains:
            - "' OR '1'='1"
            - "UNION SELECT"
            - "SHUTDOWN"
            - "admin' --"
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate use of SQL keywords in non-malicious contexts (rare)
level: high

Suricata Rule

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2024-6795 SQL Injection Attempt - Connex Portal"; flow:to_server,established; content:"' OR '1'='1"; nocase; content:"UNION"; nocase; content:"SHUTDOWN"; nocase; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

1. Immediate Actions:
   • Disable or isolate any Connex portal instances until a patch is available.
   • Implement a WAF with SQL injection rules (e.g., ModSecurity with OWASP CRS).
2. Long-Term Fix:
   • Apply parameterized queries or prepared statements in all database interactions.
   • Conduct a full code audit of the Connex portal.
3. Monitoring:
   • Enable detailed logging for web and database servers.
   • Set up alerts for SQL injection patterns.
4. Vendor Contact:
   • Reach out to Connex for patch status and timeline.

Valters IT
DevSecOps & Cyber Threat Intelligence Division