CVE-2025-13280: Simple Inventory System SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2025-13280 Overview

A SQL Injection vulnerability has been identified in CodeAstro Simple Inventory System 1.0. The vulnerability exists within the /index.php file of the Login component, where improper sanitization of the Username argument allows attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. This flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate database queries, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, data manipulation, or authentication bypass.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to bypass authentication mechanisms, extract sensitive data from the database, or potentially modify or delete critical inventory records without authentication.

Affected Products

• CodeAstro Simple Inventory System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-11-17 - CVE-2025-13280 published to NVD
• 2026-02-24 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-13280

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) in CodeAstro Simple Inventory System stems from improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands. The login functionality within /index.php fails to properly validate and sanitize user-supplied input in the Username field before incorporating it into SQL queries. This allows attackers to inject arbitrary SQL statements that are executed by the underlying database engine with the application's privileges.

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component) and CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command), indicating a fundamental input validation failure. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of widespread exploitation against unpatched instances.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the failure to implement proper input validation and parameterized queries in the login authentication mechanism. The application directly concatenates user-supplied Username values into SQL query strings without sanitization, escaping, or using prepared statements. This allows specially crafted input containing SQL metacharacters to alter the intended query logic.

Attack Vector

The attack can be launched remotely over the network without any prior authentication or user interaction. An attacker can submit malicious SQL syntax through the Username field on the login page at /index.php. Common exploitation techniques include:

• Using ' OR '1'='1 style payloads to bypass authentication
• Employing UNION-based injection to extract data from other database tables
• Leveraging time-based blind SQL injection to enumerate database contents
• Potentially using stacked queries to execute destructive operations depending on database configuration

The vulnerability allows for remote exploitation, making any internet-exposed instance of Simple Inventory System 1.0 a potential target.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-13280

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual login attempts containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, double dashes, semicolons, or UNION keywords in web server access logs
• Database error messages appearing in application responses or logs indicating malformed SQL queries
• Unexpected database queries or access patterns in database audit logs
• Authentication bypass events where users gain access without valid credentials

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common SQL injection patterns in login requests
• Monitor web server logs for requests to /index.php containing suspicious characters or SQL keywords in POST parameters
• Configure database activity monitoring to alert on anomalous query patterns or failed query syntax
• Deploy intrusion detection signatures targeting SQL injection attempts against PHP login forms

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging on the web server to capture full request bodies including POST data
• Set up alerting for multiple failed login attempts followed by a successful login from the same source
• Monitor for database connections or queries occurring outside of normal application patterns
• Review access logs regularly for reconnaissance activity targeting the login endpoint

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-13280

Immediate Actions Required

• If possible, restrict network access to the Simple Inventory System to trusted internal networks only
• Implement a Web Application Firewall with SQL injection protection rules in front of the application
• Consider temporarily disabling the affected login page until a patch is available
• Audit database access logs for signs of prior exploitation

Patch Information

At the time of this advisory, no official vendor patch has been identified. Organizations using CodeAstro Simple Inventory System 1.0 should monitor the CodeAstro Homepage for security updates. Additional technical details are available in the GitHub Issue Tracker and VulDB #332615.

Workarounds

• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) configured to block SQL injection attack patterns
• Implement input validation at the network perimeter using reverse proxy rules to filter malicious characters
• Restrict access to the application to authenticated VPN users or internal networks only
• If source code access is available, modify the login function to use parameterized queries or prepared statements
• Consider migrating to an alternative inventory management system that follows secure coding practices

# Example WAF rule for ModSecurity to block SQL injection in login forms
SecRule ARGS:Username "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:1001,\
    phase:2,\
    deny,\
    status:403,\
    log,\
    msg:'SQL Injection attempt detected in Username field',\
    tag:'CVE-2025-13280'"