CVE-2019-25499: Simple Job Script SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2019-25499 Overview

Simple Job Script contains an SQL injection vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to manipulate database queries by injecting SQL code through the job_id parameter. Attackers can send POST requests to get_job_applications_ajax.php with malicious job_id values to bypass authentication, extract sensitive data, or modify database contents.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to extract sensitive data from the database, bypass authentication mechanisms, or modify database contents without any prior access to the system.

Affected Products

• Simple Job Script (all versions)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-04 - CVE CVE-2019-25499 published to NVD
• 2026-03-05 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2019-25499

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-89 (SQL Injection), a critical web application security flaw that occurs when user-supplied input is incorporated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization. The vulnerability resides in the get_job_applications_ajax.php script, which processes job application requests.

The vulnerable endpoint accepts a job_id parameter via POST requests. Due to insufficient input validation and the lack of prepared statements or parameterized queries, attackers can inject arbitrary SQL commands that are executed by the database server with the same privileges as the application's database user.

This network-accessible vulnerability requires no authentication or user interaction to exploit, making it particularly dangerous for internet-facing deployments. Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive job applicant data, credential theft, and potential database manipulation.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation in the get_job_applications_ajax.php file. The job_id parameter is directly concatenated into SQL queries without sanitization, escaping, or the use of prepared statements. This allows attackers to break out of the intended query context and inject malicious SQL code that the database interprets as legitimate commands.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring an attacker to send specially crafted HTTP POST requests to the vulnerable endpoint. The attacker constructs a malicious job_id value containing SQL injection payloads such as UNION-based queries, boolean-based blind injection, or time-based blind injection techniques.

For example, an attacker could craft a POST request to get_job_applications_ajax.php with a job_id parameter containing SQL metacharacters and commands. The malicious input is then processed by the application and executed against the backend database. Technical details and proof-of-concept information are available in the Exploit-DB #46612 entry and the VulnCheck Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2019-25499

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual POST requests to get_job_applications_ajax.php containing SQL syntax such as UNION, SELECT, OR 1=1, or comment sequences (--, /*)
• Database error messages appearing in application logs or HTTP responses indicating malformed queries
• Unexpected database queries accessing system tables or extracting credential data
• Web application firewall alerts for SQL injection patterns targeting the job_id parameter

Detection Strategies

• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection attempts in POST parameters
• Implement application-level logging to capture all requests to get_job_applications_ajax.php with suspicious parameter values
• Configure database activity monitoring to alert on unusual query patterns or unauthorized data access
• Use intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for SQL injection payloads

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor web server access logs for repeated requests to get_job_applications_ajax.php with varying job_id values
• Enable database query logging to identify malformed or suspicious SQL statements
• Set up alerts for database errors related to syntax violations or unauthorized table access
• Review application error logs for evidence of SQL injection attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2019-25499

Immediate Actions Required

• Remove or disable the vulnerable get_job_applications_ajax.php endpoint if not essential to operations
• Implement web application firewall rules to block SQL injection attempts targeting the job_id parameter
• Restrict network access to the vulnerable endpoint using IP whitelisting or VPN requirements
• Review database permissions and limit the application's database user privileges to minimum required access

Patch Information

No official vendor patch information is available for this vulnerability. Organizations should consider replacing Simple Job Script with an actively maintained alternative or implementing custom code fixes to address the SQL injection vulnerability. For technical details, refer to the Exploit-DB #46612 and VulnCheck Advisory.

Workarounds

• Implement input validation to ensure the job_id parameter contains only numeric values before processing
• Modify the application code to use prepared statements with parameterized queries for all database interactions
• Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF with SQL injection protection in front of the application
• Consider migrating to an alternative job management solution with proper security practices

# Example WAF rule for ModSecurity to block SQL injection in job_id parameter
SecRule ARGS:job_id "@rx (?i:(\%27)|(\')|(\-\-)|(\%23)|(#)|(union)|(select)|(insert)|(drop)|(update)|(delete))" \
    "id:100001,phase:2,deny,status:403,log,msg:'SQL Injection attempt blocked in job_id parameter'"