CVE-2025-4080: Online Nurse Hiring System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2025-4080 Overview

CVE-2025-4080 is a SQL injection vulnerability in PHPGurukul Online Nurse Hiring System 1.0. The flaw resides in the /admin/view-request.php script, where the viewid parameter is passed to a database query without proper sanitization. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can manipulate the viewid argument to inject arbitrary SQL statements. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of opportunistic attacks against exposed installations. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command) and CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output).

Critical Impact
Remote attackers with admin panel access can extract, modify, or delete database records through SQL injection against the viewid parameter in /admin/view-request.php.

Affected Products

PHPGurukul Online Nurse Hiring System 1.0
CPE: cpe:2.3:a:phpgurukul:online_nurse_hiring_system:1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vulnerable component: /admin/view-request.php

Discovery Timeline

2025-04-29 - CVE-2025-4080 published to NVD
2025-05-14 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-4080

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability exists in the administrative interface of the Online Nurse Hiring System. The view-request.php script accepts a viewid GET parameter and concatenates it directly into an SQL query. PHPGurukul applications commonly use mysqli_query with raw string concatenation rather than prepared statements. This pattern allows an attacker to break out of the intended query context and append malicious SQL clauses. Successful exploitation provides read and write access to application database tables, including patient requests, nurse profiles, and credentials. According to the publicly available report, exploitation requires authentication to the admin panel but no user interaction. See the GitHub CVE Issue Report for the disclosure details.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing input validation and parameterization on the viewid parameter in /admin/view-request.php. The application trusts client-supplied input and inserts it into a SQL statement without sanitization, type casting, or prepared statement binding. This violates secure coding guidance for database access in PHP applications.

Attack Vector

Attackers exploit the flaw remotely over the network by sending crafted HTTP requests to the admin endpoint with a malicious viewid value. Typical payloads use UNION-based or boolean-based blind SQL injection techniques to enumerate database contents. The exploit has been disclosed publicly, lowering the skill barrier for adversaries. No verified proof-of-concept code is provided in this article; consult the linked VulDB entry #306517 for technical specifics.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-4080

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to /admin/view-request.php containing SQL metacharacters in the viewid parameter, such as single quotes, UNION SELECT, SLEEP(, or OR 1=1.
Web server access logs showing unusually long viewid values or repeated requests from a single source enumerating numeric IDs.
Database error messages returned to the client referencing MySQL syntax errors originating from view-request.php.

Detection Strategies

Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to flag SQL injection patterns targeting the viewid parameter.
Enable MySQL general query logging temporarily to identify malformed queries originating from admin/view-request.php.
Correlate authentication events with anomalous query volume from administrative sessions.

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor outbound database query patterns for UNION, INFORMATION_SCHEMA, and LOAD_FILE usage from the application user.
Alert on HTTP 500 responses from /admin/view-request.php that indicate SQL parsing failures.
Track admin account logins from new IP addresses or geolocations preceding suspicious query activity.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-4080

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network access to the /admin/ directory using IP allow-listing or VPN-only access until a patch is available.
Enforce strong authentication and rotate administrator credentials on all PHPGurukul Online Nurse Hiring System deployments.
Deploy WAF signatures that block SQL injection payloads targeting the viewid parameter.

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been published at the time of writing. Monitor the PHPGurukul website for updates and security advisories related to the Online Nurse Hiring System.

Workarounds

Modify /admin/view-request.php to cast viewid to an integer using intval($_GET['viewid']) before using it in any SQL query.
Refactor database access to use mysqli or PDO prepared statements with bound parameters.
Disable or remove the affected administrative endpoint if it is not required for production operations.

bash

# Example hardening: enforce integer casting before query execution
# In /admin/view-request.php, replace direct concatenation with:
#   $viewid = intval($_GET['viewid']);
#   $stmt = $conn->prepare('SELECT * FROM tblrequest WHERE id = ?');
#   $stmt->bind_param('i', $viewid);
#   $stmt->execute();

# Block suspicious requests at the reverse proxy layer (nginx example):
location /admin/view-request.php {
    if ($arg_viewid ~* "(union|select|sleep|--|/\*|;)") {
        return 403;
    }
}