CVE-2025-12277 Overview
CVE-2025-12277 is a SQL injection vulnerability in the Abdullah-Hasan-Sajjad Online-School project, affecting versions up to commit f09dda77b4c29aa083ff57f4b1eb991b98b68883. The flaw resides in the /studentLogin.php script, where the Email parameter is incorporated into a SQL statement without proper sanitization. Remote attackers can manipulate the parameter to alter query logic, extract database contents, or bypass authentication. The exploit has been published, and the vendor did not respond to disclosure attempts. The project follows a rolling release strategy, so administrators must track upstream commits rather than discrete versions. The weakness is classified under [CWE-74] Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can inject SQL statements through the student login form, exposing credentials and student records stored in the application database.
Affected Products
- Abdullah-Hasan-Sajjad Online-School (rolling release)
- Builds up to and including commit f09dda77b4c29aa083ff57f4b1eb991b98b68883
- Deployments exposing /studentLogin.php to untrusted networks
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-10-27 - CVE-2025-12277 published to NVD
- 2026-04-29 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-12277
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is a classic SQL injection in the student authentication endpoint of the Online-School PHP application. The studentLogin.php script accepts an Email parameter from the login form and concatenates it directly into a SQL query executed against the backend database. Because the input is neither parameterized nor escaped, attackers can supply crafted values containing SQL metacharacters that change the structure of the query.
Successful exploitation enables authentication bypass, exfiltration of arbitrary tables through UNION-based or boolean-based techniques, and potentially writing to the database depending on the privileges of the database user. The attack requires no authentication and no user interaction, and it can be executed remotely over the network.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of prepared statements or input validation when handling the Email POST parameter. The application builds the authentication query through string concatenation, allowing attacker-supplied input to be interpreted as SQL syntax. CWE-74 captures the broader weakness of improper neutralization of special elements during output generation.
Attack Vector
An attacker submits a crafted POST request to /studentLogin.php with malicious SQL syntax in the Email field. Typical payloads use tautologies such as ' OR '1'='1 to bypass authentication, or UNION SELECT clauses to retrieve data from other tables. Because the project follows a rolling release model, any deployment that has not pulled commits beyond f09dda77b4c29aa083ff57f4b1eb991b98b68883 is exposed. Refer to the GitHub SQL Injection Report and VulDB entry #329948 for proof-of-concept details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-12277
Indicators of Compromise
- POST requests to /studentLogin.php containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, UNION, SELECT, --, or OR 1=1 in the Email field.
- Web server access logs showing unusually long or URL-encoded Email values from a single source IP.
- Database error messages or HTTP 500 responses correlated with login attempts.
- Unexpected outbound database queries against tables unrelated to authentication.
Detection Strategies
- Deploy a web application firewall rule that inspects the Email parameter for SQL syntax patterns.
- Enable database query logging and alert on queries originating from the login flow that reference tables outside the user table.
- Correlate authentication failures with response time anomalies that may indicate boolean- or time-based blind injection.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Monitor /studentLogin.php request volume and payload entropy for sudden spikes consistent with automated scanners.
- Track failed login attempts followed by successful logins from the same IP without a corresponding password reset.
- Review database audit logs for unexpected INFORMATION_SCHEMA queries or large result sets returned to the web user.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-12277
Immediate Actions Required
- Restrict access to /studentLogin.php behind an authenticated VPN or IP allowlist until a fix is applied.
- Replace the vulnerable query with a prepared statement using PDO or mysqli parameter binding.
- Apply server-side input validation that rejects non-email characters in the Email field.
- Rotate database credentials and audit user tables for unauthorized modifications.
Patch Information
No vendor patch is available. The vendor was contacted but did not respond to the disclosure. Because the project uses a rolling release strategy, administrators must apply manual code fixes locally or migrate to an alternative platform. Track the VulDB CTI entry #329948 for status updates.
Workarounds
- Deploy a web application firewall with SQL injection signatures covering the Email POST parameter.
- Configure the database account used by the application with least-privilege permissions, removing FILE, INTO OUTFILE, and DDL rights.
- Enable PHP magic_quotes alternatives such as centralized input filters, and log all authentication attempts to a SIEM for review.
- Consider taking the application offline if it stores sensitive student data and cannot be patched promptly.
# Example ModSecurity rule blocking SQLi patterns in the Email parameter
SecRule ARGS:Email "@rx (?i)(\b(union|select|insert|update|delete|drop)\b|--|;|/\*|'|\")" \
"id:1012277,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'CVE-2025-12277 SQLi attempt on studentLogin.php'"
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
