CVE-2025-2199: Local Administration Plugin SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2025-2199 Overview

CVE-2025-2199 is a critical SQL injection vulnerability affecting the Innovación y Cualificación local administration plugin for Moodle. The vulnerability exists in the ajax.php endpoint and allows unauthenticated attackers to inject malicious SQL queries through multiple vulnerable parameters, enabling unauthorized access to sensitive database information.

This SQL injection flaw permits attackers to obtain, update, and delete data from the backend database by exploiting improper input validation in the following parameters: searchActionsToUpdate, searchSpecialitiesPending, searchSpecialitiesLinked, searchUsersToUpdateProfile, training_action_data, showContinuingTrainingCourses, and showUsersToEdit within the /local/administration/ajax.php endpoint.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can fully compromise database integrity, confidentiality, and availability through SQL injection attacks targeting multiple vulnerable parameters in the Moodle plugin.

Affected Products

• Innovación y Cualificación Local Administration Plugin for Moodle
• Moodle LMS installations with the vulnerable plugin installed

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-03-17 - CVE CVE-2025-2199 published to NVD
• 2025-03-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-2199

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) stems from insufficient input sanitization in the Moodle local administration plugin's AJAX handler. The vulnerability affects multiple parameters that process user-supplied input without proper validation or parameterized queries.

The attack surface is network-accessible with low complexity requirements, requiring no privileges or user interaction for exploitation. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to extract sensitive data including user credentials, course information, and administrative records. Additionally, the vulnerability enables modification or deletion of database records, potentially disrupting educational operations.

The vulnerability impacts all three pillars of data security: confidentiality through data extraction, integrity through unauthorized modifications, and availability through potential data deletion or corruption.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper input validation and the use of unsanitized user input in SQL query construction. The affected AJAX endpoint in /local/administration/ajax.php directly incorporates user-supplied values from multiple parameters into database queries without proper escaping, parameterization, or prepared statements.

This represents a fundamental violation of secure coding practices where user input is trusted and concatenated directly into SQL statements, creating a classic SQL injection attack vector.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is exploitable over the network through HTTP requests to the vulnerable AJAX endpoint. An attacker can craft malicious requests containing SQL injection payloads in any of the seven vulnerable parameters.

The attack flow involves:

1. Identifying a Moodle installation with the vulnerable plugin
2. Sending crafted HTTP requests to /local/administration/ajax.php
3. Injecting SQL payloads through parameters such as searchActionsToUpdate or showUsersToEdit
4. Extracting, modifying, or deleting database contents based on the attacker's objectives

Since no authentication is required, any network-accessible Moodle instance with this plugin is immediately at risk. The technical details and exploitation methodology can be found in the INCIBE Security Notice.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-2199

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual HTTP requests to /local/administration/ajax.php containing SQL syntax characters such as single quotes, UNION statements, or comment sequences
• Database query logs showing unexpected queries or error messages related to SQL syntax
• Anomalous database access patterns, particularly bulk data extraction or modification operations
• Web server logs containing encoded SQL payloads in request parameters

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns targeting the vulnerable endpoint
• Enable detailed logging on the Moodle application and database servers to capture suspicious query activity
• Deploy database activity monitoring solutions to alert on anomalous query patterns or unauthorized data access
• Configure intrusion detection systems with signatures for common SQL injection attack payloads

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor HTTP request logs for requests to /local/administration/ajax.php with suspicious parameter values
• Set up alerts for database error spikes that may indicate SQL injection probing attempts
• Review database audit logs for unexpected SELECT, UPDATE, or DELETE operations on sensitive tables
• Track failed authentication attempts and unusual account activity following potential data exfiltration

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-2199

Immediate Actions Required

• Disable or remove the Innovación y Cualificación local administration plugin until a patch is available
• Implement WAF rules to block SQL injection attempts targeting /local/administration/ajax.php
• Restrict network access to the Moodle administrative interfaces using firewall rules or VPN requirements
• Review database logs for signs of prior exploitation and assess potential data breach impact

Patch Information

Refer to the INCIBE Security Notice for official patch availability and update guidance from the plugin vendor. Organizations should monitor for security updates and apply patches immediately upon release.

Workarounds

• Disable the affected plugin by removing or renaming the /local/administration/ directory
• Implement strict input validation at the web server or reverse proxy level to filter malicious SQL characters
• Deploy a WAF with SQL injection detection capabilities in blocking mode
• Restrict access to the vulnerable endpoint through IP whitelisting or authentication requirements at the network layer

# Example: Block access to vulnerable endpoint via Apache configuration
<Location "/local/administration/ajax.php">
    Require ip 10.0.0.0/8
    Require ip 192.168.0.0/16
</Location>