CVE-2025-12256
📋 TL;DR
This SQL injection vulnerability in code-projects Online Event Judging System 1.0 allows attackers to manipulate database queries via the contestant_id parameter in /edit_contestant.php. Remote attackers can potentially access, modify, or delete database content. All deployments of version 1.0 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- code-projects Online Event Judging System
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete database compromise including data theft, data manipulation, authentication bypass, or full system takeover via SQL injection leading to remote code execution.
Likely Case
Unauthorized data access and manipulation of contestant/judging data, potentially exposing sensitive information or corrupting competition results.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper input validation and database permissions, potentially only allowing data viewing without modification.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploit details are publicly available on GitHub and vuldb. Attack requires access to the edit_contestant.php endpoint.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Not available
Vendor Advisory: https://code-projects.org/
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
No official patch available. Consider upgrading to a newer version if available, or implement workarounds.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation and Parameterized Queries
allImplement proper input validation and use parameterized queries/prepared statements for all database operations.
Modify edit_contestant.php to validate contestant_id as integer and use prepared statements
Web Application Firewall (WAF)
allDeploy a WAF with SQL injection protection rules to block malicious requests.
Configure WAF to block SQL injection patterns targeting /edit_contestant.php
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict access to /edit_contestant.php using network controls or authentication requirements
- Implement database user with minimal permissions (read-only if possible) for the application
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Test /edit_contestant.php with SQL injection payloads in contestant_id parameter (e.g., 1' OR '1'='1). Monitor for database errors or unexpected behavior.Check Version:
Check application version in admin panel or configuration files. Look for version 1.0 in source code or documentation.Verify Fix Applied:
Test with same SQL injection payloads after implementing fixes. Verify no database errors occur and input is properly validated.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- SQL syntax errors in web server logs
- Unusual database queries from web application
- Multiple failed requests to /edit_contestant.php with special characters
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to /edit_contestant.php containing SQL keywords (UNION, SELECT, etc.) in parameters
- Unusual traffic patterns to the vulnerable endpoint
SIEM Query:
source="web_server" AND uri="/edit_contestant.php" AND (param="*'*" OR param="*UNION*" OR param="*SELECT*" OR param="*OR*1=1*")