CVE-2025-13298: Laboratory Management System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2025-13298 Overview

A SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in itsourcecode Web-Based Internet Laboratory Management System version 1.0. This vulnerability affects the /enrollment/controller.php file, where improper input validation allows attackers to manipulate SQL queries. The attack can be executed remotely without authentication, and a public exploit is reportedly available.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to extract, modify, or delete database contents, potentially compromising user credentials, enrollment data, and sensitive laboratory management information.

Affected Products

• itsourcecode Web-Based Internet Laboratory Management System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-11-17 - CVE-2025-13298 published to NVD
• 2026-02-24 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-13298

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-89 (SQL Injection) and CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component). The affected endpoint /enrollment/controller.php fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries. This allows attackers to inject malicious SQL statements that are executed by the database server.

The vulnerability can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring any authentication or user interaction. The impact includes potential unauthorized access to confidential data stored in the database, modification of existing records, and potential disruption of database integrity. As a web-based laboratory management system, compromised data could include student enrollment records, user credentials, and laboratory scheduling information.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation and lack of parameterized queries in the enrollment controller functionality. User-supplied input is directly concatenated into SQL query strings without adequate sanitization or escaping, enabling SQL injection attacks. This represents a failure to implement secure coding practices such as prepared statements or input validation routines.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, allowing remote exploitation. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests to the /enrollment/controller.php endpoint, injecting SQL commands through vulnerable parameters. The vulnerability requires no prior authentication and no user interaction, making it trivially exploitable by anyone who can reach the application over the network.

The exploitation typically involves sending specially crafted input containing SQL metacharacters (such as single quotes, double dashes, or UNION statements) to extract data from the database, bypass authentication mechanisms, or modify database contents.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-13298

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed HTTP requests to /enrollment/controller.php containing SQL metacharacters
• Database error messages appearing in application logs or HTTP responses
• Unexpected database queries attempting to access system tables or other databases
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unauthorized database modifications
• Web server logs showing encoded SQL injection payloads in request parameters

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in HTTP requests
• Enable database query logging and monitor for suspicious query patterns or errors
• Implement intrusion detection system (IDS) signatures targeting SQL injection attack patterns
• Review application logs for repeated requests to /enrollment/controller.php with unusual parameters
• Configure real-time alerting for database authentication failures or permission errors

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor HTTP traffic to the vulnerable endpoint for SQL injection indicators
• Enable verbose database logging to capture all queries executed against the database
• Set up alerting for unusual database activity patterns such as bulk data exports or schema queries
• Regularly audit database access logs for unauthorized access attempts
• Implement file integrity monitoring on the application files to detect any unauthorized modifications

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-13298

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the vulnerable application until patching is complete
• Implement WAF rules to filter SQL injection attacks targeting /enrollment/controller.php
• Consider taking the enrollment functionality offline if not business-critical
• Audit database logs for signs of prior exploitation
• Reset database credentials and rotate any potentially compromised secrets

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been identified for this vulnerability at the time of publication. Administrators should monitor the IT Source Code website for potential updates. Given the nature of the vulnerability, organizations should consider implementing the manual code fixes described in the workarounds section or discontinuing use of the affected software until an official patch is available.

For additional technical details, refer to the VulDB #332638 Entry and the GitHub CVE Issue Discussion.

Workarounds

• Implement prepared statements or parameterized queries in the /enrollment/controller.php file to prevent SQL injection
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) in front of the application with SQL injection detection rules enabled
• Restrict database user privileges to the minimum required for application functionality
• Implement network-level access controls to limit exposure of the vulnerable application
• Consider disabling or removing the enrollment functionality if not immediately required

# Configuration example - WAF rule to block SQL injection patterns
# ModSecurity example rule
SecRule ARGS "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:1001,\
    phase:2,\
    deny,\
    status:403,\
    log,\
    msg:'SQL Injection Attack Detected on enrollment controller',\
    chain"
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@contains /enrollment/controller.php"