The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-44633 affects PHPGurukul Student Record System version 3.20. It is an SQL Injection flaw located in the 'currentpassword' parameter within the change-password.php file. SQL Injection vulnerabilities occur when user-supplied input is improperly sanitized, allowing attackers to inject and execute arbitrary SQL commands against the backend database. In this case, the 'currentpassword' parameter is not adequately validated or escaped, enabling an attacker to manipulate SQL queries. This can lead to unauthorized data retrieval, modification, or deletion, compromising the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the student record database. The vulnerability does not require authentication, meaning an attacker can exploit it without valid credentials, increasing the risk. No CVSS score has been assigned yet, and no public exploits are reported, but the nature of the vulnerability suggests it could be weaponized easily. The affected system is typically used by educational institutions to manage sensitive student information, making the impact potentially severe if exploited. The lack of patch links indicates that a fix may not yet be publicly available, emphasizing the need for immediate mitigation efforts.

For European organizations, particularly educational institutions using PHPGurukul Student Record System, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive student data, including personal identification and academic records. Such a breach could result in privacy violations, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR), reputational damage, and potential financial penalties. The integrity of student records could be compromised, affecting academic evaluations and institutional trust. Additionally, attackers could leverage the vulnerability to escalate privileges or pivot to other internal systems, increasing the scope of impact. The availability of the system might also be affected if attackers execute destructive SQL commands. Given the critical role of educational data, the impact on European organizations could be significant, especially in countries with strict data protection laws and large deployments of this software.

Organizations should immediately audit their PHPGurukul Student Record System installations to identify vulnerable versions. Since no official patches are currently available, administrators should implement input validation and sanitization on the 'currentpassword' parameter, ideally using prepared statements or parameterized queries to prevent SQL Injection. Web application firewalls (WAFs) can be configured to detect and block SQL Injection attempts targeting this parameter. Monitoring database logs for unusual queries or access patterns is recommended to detect exploitation attempts. Restricting database user permissions to the minimum necessary can limit the damage if exploitation occurs. Organizations should also prepare to apply official patches once released and consider isolating or limiting access to the affected application until remediation is complete. Conducting security awareness training for developers and administrators on secure coding practices will help prevent similar vulnerabilities.