CVE-2025-13170: Hotel Reservation System SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2025-13170 Overview

A SQL Injection vulnerability has been identified in Fabian Simple Online Hotel Reservation System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the /admin/edit_account.php file, where the admin_id parameter is not properly sanitized before being used in SQL queries. This flaw allows remote attackers to manipulate database queries by injecting malicious SQL code through the affected parameter.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL Injection vulnerability to extract sensitive data, modify database records, or potentially gain unauthorized access to the hotel reservation system's backend database without authentication.

Affected Products

• Fabian Simple Online Hotel Reservation System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-11-14 - CVE-2025-13170 published to NVD
• 2026-02-24 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-13170

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability occurs in the administrative account editing functionality of the Simple Online Hotel Reservation System. The admin_id parameter passed to /admin/edit_account.php is directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper input validation or parameterized queries. This allows an attacker to inject arbitrary SQL statements that will be executed by the database server.

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component), which encompasses injection attacks where user-controlled input is improperly handled before being used in commands or queries. The exploit for this vulnerability is publicly available, increasing the risk of exploitation in the wild.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the failure to implement proper input sanitization and parameterized queries in the edit_account.php file. The admin_id parameter is concatenated directly into SQL statements, allowing attackers to break out of the intended query structure and execute arbitrary SQL commands. This represents a fundamental secure coding failure where user input is trusted without validation.

Attack Vector

The attack can be carried out remotely over the network without requiring any authentication or user interaction. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests to the /admin/edit_account.php endpoint, injecting SQL payloads through the admin_id parameter. By manipulating this parameter, attackers can:

• Extract sensitive data from the database (e.g., user credentials, reservation details, payment information)
• Modify or delete database records
• Bypass authentication mechanisms
• Potentially escalate privileges within the application
• In some database configurations, execute system commands

The vulnerability does not require any special privileges or user interaction, making it particularly dangerous for exposed installations.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-13170

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL error messages in web server logs referencing /admin/edit_account.php
• HTTP requests to /admin/edit_account.php containing SQL syntax characters such as single quotes ('), double dashes (--), or UNION SELECT statements
• Unexpected database queries or access patterns in database audit logs
• Anomalous values in the admin_id parameter that include SQL keywords or special characters

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns targeting the admin_id parameter
• Monitor web server access logs for suspicious requests to /admin/edit_account.php with encoded or malformed parameters
• Deploy intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common SQL injection payloads
• Enable database query logging and alert on queries containing injection patterns or unexpected syntax

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure real-time alerting for SQL syntax errors originating from the hotel reservation application
• Establish baseline metrics for database query patterns and alert on deviations
• Monitor for unauthorized data extraction attempts through large result set queries
• Review authentication logs for anomalous admin account access or modification attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-13170

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict access to the /admin/ directory using network-level controls or IP whitelisting
• Implement input validation on the admin_id parameter to accept only numeric values
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules
• Consider taking the application offline until a proper fix can be implemented

Patch Information

No official vendor patch is currently available for this vulnerability. The Simple Online Hotel Reservation System is a code-projects educational application, and users should implement their own security fixes or seek alternative solutions. Technical details and vulnerability reports can be found through the GitHub CVE Issue Tracker and VulDB #332458.

Workarounds

• Modify /admin/edit_account.php to use parameterized queries or prepared statements instead of string concatenation
• Implement strict input validation to ensure admin_id contains only integer values using functions like intval() or type casting
• Add authentication checks to verify user sessions before processing any admin operations
• Place the admin interface behind VPN or additional authentication layers to limit exposure

# Example: Restrict access to admin directory via .htaccess
# Add to /admin/.htaccess file
<Files "edit_account.php">
    Order Deny,Allow
    Deny from all
    Allow from 192.168.1.0/24
    Allow from 10.0.0.0/8
</Files>