CVE-2025-3697: Pharmacy Management System SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2025-3697 Overview

CVE-2025-3697 is a SQL injection vulnerability in SourceCodester Web-based Pharmacy Product Management System 1.0. The flaw resides in the /edit-product.php script, where the ID parameter is passed directly into a SQL query without proper sanitization. An authenticated remote attacker can manipulate the ID argument to inject arbitrary SQL statements against the backend database. The exploit details have been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of opportunistic exploitation against exposed instances. The issue is tracked under [CWE-74] (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component).

Critical Impact
Remote attackers with low privileges can manipulate database queries through the ID parameter in /edit-product.php, potentially exposing or altering pharmacy product records.

Affected Products

Senior-walter Web-based Pharmacy Product Management System 1.0
Affected file: /edit-product.php
Vulnerable parameter: ID

Discovery Timeline

2025-04-16 - CVE-2025-3697 published to NVD
2025-05-14 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-3697

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a classic SQL injection in the edit-product.php endpoint of the Web-based Pharmacy Product Management System. The application accepts the ID request parameter and concatenates it into a SQL statement used to fetch product records for editing. Because the value is not parameterized or escaped, attackers can break out of the query context and append malicious SQL clauses.

Exploitation requires only network access and a low-privileged authenticated session, since the targeted endpoint is reachable to standard application users. Successful injection enables unauthorized read or modification of pharmacy product data, including pricing, inventory, and supplier information. Depending on database privileges, attackers may also extract credentials or pivot to broader data exfiltration.

The public disclosure of exploit details on GitHub and VulDB significantly lowers the skill barrier for attackers. Administrators running this application should treat the deployment as exposed until remediation is applied.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of user-supplied input before it is incorporated into a SQL query. The ID parameter is taken from the HTTP request and used directly in dynamic SQL string construction, without prepared statements or input validation.

Attack Vector

The attack is delivered remotely over HTTP/HTTPS by sending a crafted request to /edit-product.php containing a malicious ID value. The injected payload alters the resulting SQL query executed against the backend database. An authenticated session with minimal privileges is sufficient. Technical details are documented in the GitHub SQL Injection Report and VulDB CTI ID #304985.

// No verified exploit code provided. See the linked GitHub report
// for documented payload structure against the ID parameter.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-3697

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to /edit-product.php containing SQL metacharacters such as ', --, UNION, SELECT, or OR 1=1 in the ID parameter.
Unexpected database errors or stack traces returned from the application during product edit operations.
Anomalous spikes in queries against the products table originating from the web application user.
New or unexplained database accounts, modified product records, or exported data dumps.

Detection Strategies

Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to inspect requests to /edit-product.php for SQL injection signatures targeting the ID parameter.
Enable database query logging and alert on parameterized queries returning unusually large result sets or containing union-based patterns.
Correlate web server access logs with database audit logs to identify suspicious sequences originating from the pharmacy application.

Monitoring Recommendations

Continuously monitor authentication events for the pharmacy application and flag low-privileged accounts performing edit operations at abnormal rates.
Track outbound network connections from the database host to detect potential data exfiltration following injection attempts.
Review file integrity on the web root to detect any webshell or backdoor that may follow successful SQL injection.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-3697

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network exposure of the Web-based Pharmacy Product Management System 1.0 to trusted networks until a fix is applied.
Disable or remove the edit-product.php endpoint if the application is not actively required in production.
Rotate any application and database credentials that may have been exposed since the vulnerability became public.
Review database audit logs for evidence of prior exploitation against the ID parameter.

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been published for CVE-2025-3697 at the time of NVD listing on 2025-04-16. Organizations should consult the SourceCodester project page for any future updates and consider replacing the application with a maintained alternative if no fix becomes available.

Workarounds

Implement WAF rules that block SQL metacharacters and known injection payloads in the ID parameter of /edit-product.php.
Modify the source code to use parameterized queries or prepared statements for all database access in edit-product.php.
Apply server-side input validation to enforce that ID accepts only numeric values within the expected range.
Limit the database account used by the application to the minimum privileges required for normal operation.

bash

# Example ModSecurity rule to block SQLi patterns against the vulnerable endpoint
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@beginsWith /edit-product.php" \
    "chain,phase:2,deny,status:403,id:1003697,msg:'Possible SQLi against CVE-2025-3697'"
    SecRule ARGS:ID "@detectSQLi" "t:none"