CVE-2025-14336: Student Management System SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2025-14336 Overview

A SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in itsourcecode Student Management System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the /promote.php file, where improper handling of the sy parameter allows attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. This flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate database queries, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, data modification, or complete database compromise.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to extract sensitive student data, modify academic records, or potentially gain unauthorized access to the underlying database system.

Affected Products

• Angeljudesuarez Student Management System version 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-12-09 - CVE-2025-14336 published to NVD
• 2025-12-16 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-14336

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability affects the Student Management System, a PHP-based web application used for managing student academic records. The flaw occurs when user-supplied input through the sy (school year) parameter is passed directly to database queries without proper sanitization or parameterization.

The vulnerability allows attackers to inject arbitrary SQL commands through the affected endpoint, potentially compromising the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of stored data. Since the system handles sensitive student information including academic records, grades, and personal details, successful exploitation could have significant privacy and data protection implications.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation in the /promote.php file (classified as CWE-74: Injection). The application fails to properly sanitize, escape, or parameterize user input before incorporating it into SQL queries. This classic injection vulnerability pattern occurs when dynamic SQL queries are constructed using string concatenation with untrusted user input, rather than using prepared statements or parameterized queries.

Attack Vector

The attack can be executed remotely over the network without requiring authentication. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests containing SQL injection payloads in the sy parameter of the /promote.php endpoint. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, making it readily available for malicious actors to leverage.

Typical exploitation involves sending specially crafted requests that modify the intended SQL query logic, enabling actions such as:

• Extracting database contents through UNION-based or blind SQL injection techniques
• Bypassing authentication or authorization checks
• Modifying or deleting database records
• Potentially executing system commands depending on database configuration

For technical details on the vulnerability mechanism, refer to the GitHub CVE Issue Discussion and VulDB #335161.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-14336

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests to /promote.php containing SQL injection payloads in the sy parameter (e.g., single quotes, UNION statements, OR conditions)
• Unusual database query patterns or errors in application logs indicating SQL syntax errors
• Unexpected database access patterns, especially bulk data extraction or unauthorized modifications to student records
• Web server access logs showing requests with encoded SQL injection characters targeting the vulnerable endpoint

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common SQL injection patterns in requests to /promote.php
• Monitor application and database logs for SQL syntax errors, which may indicate attempted exploitation
• Implement intrusion detection system (IDS) signatures for SQL injection attack patterns targeting this specific endpoint
• Conduct regular web application security scanning to identify this and similar vulnerabilities

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for all requests to the Student Management System, particularly the /promote.php endpoint
• Set up alerting for anomalous database query patterns or error spikes that could indicate active exploitation attempts
• Monitor for unauthorized access to student records or unexpected data exports from the database

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-14336

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the Student Management System to trusted IP ranges or internal networks only
• Implement Web Application Firewall rules to block SQL injection attempts targeting the sy parameter in /promote.php
• Consider temporarily disabling the /promote.php functionality until a proper fix can be implemented
• Review database access logs for signs of prior exploitation

Patch Information

No official vendor patch is currently available from the application developer. Organizations using this software should contact IT Source Code for potential updates or apply manual remediation measures. For detailed vulnerability information, refer to the VulDB submission #702744.

Workarounds

• Implement input validation and sanitization for the sy parameter, rejecting any input containing SQL metacharacters
• Modify the application code to use prepared statements with parameterized queries instead of string concatenation
• Deploy a WAF with SQL injection protection rules as an additional defense layer
• Apply the principle of least privilege to database accounts used by the application to limit potential damage from successful exploitation

To implement proper parameterized queries in PHP, the vulnerable code should be refactored to use PDO or MySQLi prepared statements. Contact the application vendor or engage a security professional to implement these changes properly, as incorrect implementation could leave the system vulnerable.