CVE-2022-30004 is a critical security vulnerability identified in Sourcecodester Online Market Place Site version 1.0. The vulnerability is an unauthenticated blind SQL Injection, specifically a time-based SQL injection, which allows remote attackers to extract sensitive information from the backend SQL database without requiring any authentication or user interaction. Blind SQL injection exploits occur when an application does not directly return database error messages but allows attackers to infer data by observing response times or behavior changes. In this case, the time-based technique means attackers send specially crafted SQL queries that cause delays in the database response if certain conditions are true, enabling them to reconstruct database contents bit by bit. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command), indicating that user inputs are not properly sanitized or parameterized before being incorporated into SQL queries. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 9.8, reflecting the vulnerability’s critical severity due to its remote exploitability without authentication (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N), and its potential to fully compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system (C:H/I:H/A:H). No vendor or product details beyond the application name and version are provided, and no patches or known exploits in the wild have been reported as of the publication date (September 26, 2022).

For European organizations using Sourcecodester Online Market Place Site v1.0 or similar vulnerable e-commerce platforms, this vulnerability poses a severe risk. Attackers can remotely extract sensitive customer data, including personal information, payment details, and business-critical data stored in the backend database. This can lead to data breaches violating GDPR regulations, resulting in significant legal penalties and reputational damage. The integrity of the database can also be compromised, allowing attackers to manipulate product listings, prices, or transaction records, potentially causing financial losses and undermining customer trust. Additionally, availability can be impacted if attackers leverage the vulnerability to perform denial-of-service attacks by overloading the database with time-delayed queries. Given the unauthenticated nature of the exploit, any internet-facing instance of the vulnerable application is at risk, increasing the attack surface for European businesses operating online marketplaces or similar platforms.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should immediately audit their use of Sourcecodester Online Market Place Site v1.0 or any custom implementations derived from it. Since no official patch is currently available, organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules designed to detect and block SQL injection patterns, especially time-based injection attempts. 2) Conduct a thorough code review and refactor all database queries to use parameterized prepared statements or stored procedures, eliminating direct concatenation of user inputs into SQL commands. 3) Implement strict input validation and sanitization on all user-supplied data fields, using whitelisting approaches where possible. 4) Restrict database user permissions to the minimum necessary, preventing unauthorized data access or modification. 5) Monitor database query logs and application logs for unusual delays or patterns indicative of blind SQL injection attempts. 6) Consider isolating or temporarily taking vulnerable instances offline until secure versions or patches become available. 7) Educate development teams on secure coding practices to prevent future SQL injection vulnerabilities. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on immediate protective controls and long-term secure development practices tailored to this specific vulnerability.