CVE-2025-8273
📋 TL;DR
A critical SQL injection vulnerability in Exam Form Submission 1.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the 'credits' parameter in /admin/update_s8.php. This affects all users running the vulnerable software version. Attackers can potentially access, modify, or delete database content.
💻 Affected Systems
- code-projects Exam Form Submission
📦 What is this software?
Exam Form Submission by Code Projects
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete database compromise leading to data theft, data destruction, or full system takeover via SQL injection to RCE chaining.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to sensitive student/exam data, grade manipulation, or administrative credential theft.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper input validation and database permissions restricting damage to non-critical data.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploit details are publicly available on GitHub. SQL injection via 'credits' parameter is straightforward.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Unknown
Vendor Advisory: https://code-projects.org/
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
No official patch available. Consider workarounds or migrating to alternative software.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation Filter
allAdd server-side validation to sanitize the 'credits' parameter before processing.
Edit /admin/update_s8.php to validate/sanitize input using prepared statements or parameterized queries.
Access Restriction
linuxRestrict access to the vulnerable file using web server configuration.
# Apache: <Location /admin/update_s8.php> Deny from all </Location>
# Nginx: location /admin/update_s8.php { deny all; }
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement WAF rules to block SQL injection patterns targeting the 'credits' parameter.
- Isolate the application in a segmented network with strict outbound traffic controls.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if /admin/update_s8.php exists and accepts the 'credits' parameter. Test with SQL injection payloads (e.g., credits=1' OR '1'='1).Check Version:
Check software documentation or configuration files for version information.Verify Fix Applied:
Verify that SQL injection attempts no longer succeed and that input validation is implemented.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual SQL errors in application logs
- Multiple requests to /admin/update_s8.php with suspicious 'credits' values
Network Indicators:
- HTTP POST requests to /admin/update_s8.php containing SQL keywords in parameters
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND uri_path="/admin/update_s8.php" AND (param="credits" AND value MATCHES "'.*OR.*|'.*AND.*|'.*UNION.*")