CVE-2025-12262 Overview
CVE-2025-12262 is a SQL injection vulnerability in code-projects Online Event Judging System 1.0. The flaw resides in the /edit_criteria.php script, where the crit_id parameter is passed to a backend SQL query without proper sanitization. Authenticated remote attackers can manipulate the parameter to inject arbitrary SQL syntax. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the likelihood of opportunistic use against exposed installations. The vulnerability is tracked under [CWE-89] (SQL Injection) and [CWE-74] (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output).
Critical Impact
Remote attackers with low-privileged access can inject SQL commands through the crit_id parameter to read, modify, or destroy data managed by the application.
Affected Products
- Carmelo Online Event Judging System 1.0
- Component: /edit_criteria.php
- CPE: cpe:2.3:a:carmelo:online_event_judging_system:1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-10-27 - CVE-2025-12262 published to NVD
- 2026-04-29 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-12262
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is a classic server-side SQL injection in the edit_criteria.php endpoint of the Online Event Judging System. The application accepts the crit_id argument from a remote HTTP request and concatenates it directly into a SQL statement. Because the input is not validated, type-cast, or parameterized, attackers can break out of the intended query context and append arbitrary SQL clauses. According to the published advisory, exploitation requires low-level authentication but no user interaction.
The impact aligns with confidentiality, integrity, and availability degradation at a limited scope. Successful exploitation can expose stored judging data, alter scoring records, or corrupt the underlying database schema. EPSS data places exploitation probability low, but public disclosure of the technique means defenders should treat any exposed instance as at risk.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing input sanitization and absent use of prepared statements when handling the crit_id parameter. The PHP code processes the request value as part of a dynamic SQL string rather than binding it to a parameterized query, breaking the trust boundary between user input and SQL syntax.
Attack Vector
The attack is delivered over the network against the web application. An authenticated user with minimal privileges issues a crafted request to /edit_criteria.php supplying a malicious value for crit_id. The injected payload alters the resulting query, allowing data extraction via UNION-based or boolean-based techniques, or destructive operations via stacked queries depending on the database driver configuration. Public proof-of-concept material is referenced through VulDB #329933 and the GitHub CVE Issue Tracker.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-12262
Indicators of Compromise
- HTTP requests to /edit_criteria.php containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, UNION, SELECT, OR 1=1, or comment sequences in the crit_id parameter.
- Database error messages or anomalous response sizes returned from edit_criteria.php requests.
- Unexpected modifications to judging criteria records or unauthorized rows in related tables.
Detection Strategies
- Inspect web server access logs for non-numeric or encoded payloads in the crit_id query string or POST body.
- Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules that flag SQL injection signatures targeting PHP endpoints.
- Correlate authentication events with database query anomalies originating from the application service account.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose query logging on the backend MySQL/MariaDB instance to detect malformed statements.
- Alert on outbound data spikes from the application host that may indicate bulk data exfiltration.
- Track repeated 500-series responses from /edit_criteria.php, which often precede successful injection.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-12262
Immediate Actions Required
- Restrict access to the Online Event Judging System to trusted networks until a vendor fix is applied.
- Audit the edit_criteria.php source and replace string-concatenated SQL with parameterized statements using PDO or mysqli prepared statements.
- Review database accounts used by the application and apply least-privilege permissions, removing DDL or destructive rights where not required.
Patch Information
No official vendor patch has been published at the time of writing. Refer to the VulDB CVE Analysis and the Code Projects Resource Hub for any future updates from the maintainer.
Workarounds
- Place the application behind a WAF with SQL injection rule sets enabled and tuned for PHP applications.
- Implement server-side input validation that enforces a numeric type on the crit_id parameter before it reaches database code.
- Disable multi-statement query support in the database driver to limit stacked-query exploitation.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
