CVE-2025-4331
📋 TL;DR
This critical SQL injection vulnerability in SourceCodester Online Student Clearance System 1.0 allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the login.php endpoint. Remote attackers can potentially access, modify, or delete database contents. All deployments of version 1.0 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- SourceCodester Online Student Clearance System
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete database compromise leading to data theft, authentication bypass, privilege escalation, and potential system takeover.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to student clearance data, personal information exposure, and potential authentication bypass.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper input validation and WAF rules are in place, though SQL injection attempts may still be logged.
🎯 Exploit Status
Public proof-of-concept exists on GitHub. The vulnerability is in the login page which is typically accessible without authentication.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Unknown
Vendor Advisory: https://www.sourcecodester.com/
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
No official patch available. Consider implementing parameterized queries and input validation in /Admin/login.php.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Web Application Firewall (WAF) Rules
allImplement WAF rules to block SQL injection patterns targeting the login.php endpoint
Input Validation Filter
allAdd input validation to sanitize id, username, and password parameters before processing
// PHP example: Use prepared statements with PDO or mysqli
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate the system behind a firewall and restrict access to trusted IP addresses only
- Implement rate limiting and monitoring on the /Admin/login.php endpoint
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Test the /Admin/login.php endpoint with SQL injection payloads in id, username, or password parametersCheck Version:
Check the system version in the admin panel or review the source code for version markersVerify Fix Applied:
Verify that parameterized queries are implemented and SQL injection attempts return errors without executing📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual SQL errors in application logs
- Multiple failed login attempts with SQL syntax
- Requests to /Admin/login.php with SQL keywords
Network Indicators:
- HTTP POST requests to /Admin/login.php containing SQL injection patterns
- Unusual database query patterns from the application server
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND uri="/Admin/login.php" AND (payload="' OR " OR payload="UNION" OR payload="SELECT" OR payload="INSERT")