CVE-2025-12342: Ghost Hot Spot SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2025-12342 Overview

A SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in Serdar Bayram Ghost Hot Spot up to version 20251014. The vulnerability exists in an unknown function of the file /Auth.php within the Login component. This flaw allows attackers to manipulate database queries through SQL injection, potentially compromising the integrity and confidentiality of the underlying database.

Critical Impact

This SQL injection vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication, allowing attackers to potentially extract sensitive data, modify database contents, or bypass authentication mechanisms in the Ghost Hot Spot application.

Affected Products

• Serdar Bayram Ghost Hot Spot versions up to 20251014
• Ghost Hot Spot Login Component (/Auth.php)

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-10-28 - CVE-2025-12342 published to NVD
• 2026-04-15 - Last updated in NVD database

Note: The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.

Technical Details for CVE-2025-12342

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component) affects the authentication mechanism of the Ghost Hot Spot application. The vulnerable endpoint resides in /Auth.php, which handles user login functionality. Due to improper input validation and lack of parameterized queries, user-supplied input is directly concatenated into SQL queries, creating an injection point that can be exploited remotely.

The vulnerability allows attackers to inject arbitrary SQL commands through the login form, potentially enabling authentication bypass, data exfiltration, or database manipulation. Since the attack can be carried out remotely over the network without requiring prior authentication, the exposure risk is significant for any publicly accessible instances.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation in the /Auth.php file. The Login component fails to properly sanitize or parameterize user input before incorporating it into SQL queries. This classic injection flaw occurs when dynamic SQL statements are constructed using string concatenation with untrusted user input, rather than using prepared statements or parameterized queries.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for CVE-2025-12342 is network-based, requiring no user interaction or prior authentication. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted HTTP requests to the /Auth.php endpoint containing malicious SQL payloads in login form fields. The injected SQL code is then executed by the database server with the same privileges as the application's database user.

Typical exploitation scenarios include:

• Authentication bypass using payloads like ' OR '1'='1 in username/password fields
• Data extraction using UNION-based or blind SQL injection techniques
• Database manipulation through INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statements
• Potential command execution if database functions like xp_cmdshell (MSSQL) or INTO OUTFILE (MySQL) are available

The exploit has been published and is publicly available. For technical details, refer to the VulDB CTI entry.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-12342

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed requests to /Auth.php containing SQL syntax characters such as single quotes ('), double dashes (--), semicolons (;), or UNION keywords
• Authentication logs showing successful logins with anomalous username patterns
• Database query logs containing unexpected SQL statements or error messages
• Abnormal database activity such as bulk data retrieval or unauthorized data modifications

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns targeting the /Auth.php endpoint
• Enable detailed logging on the web server and database to capture suspicious query patterns
• Deploy intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common SQL injection attack vectors
• Monitor application logs for authentication anomalies or repeated failed login attempts followed by successful access

Monitoring Recommendations

• Regularly review web server access logs for requests containing SQL metacharacters targeting authentication endpoints
• Configure database audit logging to track queries executed against user and authentication tables
• Set up alerting for unusual database query patterns or performance anomalies that may indicate data exfiltration
• Monitor for any unexpected changes to user accounts or permissions in the application

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-12342

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the Ghost Hot Spot application to trusted IP addresses only
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) in front of the application with SQL injection detection rules enabled
• If possible, take the application offline until a patch is available or proper mitigations are in place
• Audit database logs and user accounts for signs of prior compromise

Patch Information

No official patch is currently available from the vendor. According to the vulnerability disclosure, the vendor was contacted early about this issue but did not respond in any way. Organizations using affected versions should implement the workarounds described below and monitor for vendor updates.

For more information, see the VulDB entry and the VulDB submission details.

Workarounds

• Place the application behind a reverse proxy or WAF configured to filter SQL injection attempts
• Implement network-level access controls to limit who can reach the /Auth.php endpoint
• Consider disabling or removing the application if it is not critical to operations
• If source code access is available, implement prepared statements or parameterized queries in the /Auth.php file to prevent SQL injection

# Example: Block access to Auth.php except from trusted IPs using iptables
# Replace 192.168.1.0/24 with your trusted network range
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -m string --string "/Auth.php" --algo bm -s 192.168.1.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -m string --string "/Auth.php" --algo bm -j DROP

# Example: Apache .htaccess to restrict access to Auth.php
# Add to .htaccess in the application directory
<Files "Auth.php">
    Require ip 192.168.1.0/24
</Files>