CVE-2025-4151: Curfew E-pass Management System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2025-4151 Overview

A SQL Injection vulnerability has been identified in PHPGurukul Curfew e-Pass Management System version 1.0. This vulnerability exists in the file /admin/pass-bwdates-reports-details.php where the fromdate parameter is not properly sanitized before being used in SQL queries. The flaw allows remote attackers to manipulate database queries, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, data modification, or complete database compromise. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, and other parameters in the affected file may also be vulnerable.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL Injection vulnerability to extract sensitive data from the database, modify or delete records, and potentially gain administrative access to the Curfew e-Pass Management System without authentication.

Affected Products

• PHPGurukul Curfew e-Pass Management System 1.0
• Applications using the vulnerable /admin/pass-bwdates-reports-details.php endpoint
• Systems with exposed administrative interfaces for the e-Pass Management System

Discovery Timeline

• May 1, 2025 - CVE-2025-4151 published to NVD
• May 7, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-4151

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation in the administrative reporting functionality of the Curfew e-Pass Management System. The fromdate parameter in /admin/pass-bwdates-reports-details.php accepts user-supplied input that is directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization. This classic injection flaw allows attackers to break out of the intended query structure and execute arbitrary SQL commands against the backend database.

The vulnerability is remotely exploitable with no authentication required, making it particularly dangerous for internet-facing deployments. While the primary attack surface is the fromdate parameter, the advisory indicates that other parameters within the same file may exhibit similar behavior, suggesting a systemic lack of input validation throughout the application.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the failure to implement proper input validation and parameterized queries (prepared statements) when handling user-supplied data in PHP database operations. The application directly concatenates user input into SQL query strings, allowing malicious SQL syntax to be interpreted and executed by the database engine. This violates fundamental secure coding practices for database interactions and represents CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command) and CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component).

Attack Vector

The attack can be initiated remotely over the network by sending crafted HTTP requests to the vulnerable administrative endpoint. An attacker would manipulate the fromdate parameter to inject SQL syntax that alters the intended query behavior. Typical exploitation scenarios include:

The vulnerability is exploited by injecting malicious SQL code through the fromdate parameter in HTTP requests to /admin/pass-bwdates-reports-details.php. Attackers can use techniques such as UNION-based injection to extract data from other database tables, Boolean-based blind injection to infer database contents character by character, or time-based blind injection using database delay functions. The lack of authentication requirements means any network-accessible attacker can attempt exploitation.

For detailed technical analysis and proof-of-concept information, see the GitHub CVE Issue Tracker and the VulDB Vulnerability #306683 advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-4151

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed requests to /admin/pass-bwdates-reports-details.php containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, OR, AND, or comment sequences (-- or /*)
• Database error messages in application logs indicating syntax errors from malformed queries
• Unexpected database query patterns or execution of administrative SQL commands
• Access logs showing repeated requests to the vulnerable endpoint with varying parameter values

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in HTTP request parameters
• Deploy intrusion detection signatures that monitor for common SQL injection payloads in the fromdate and related parameters
• Enable database query logging and alert on anomalous query patterns or unauthorized data access attempts
• Monitor for reconnaissance activity targeting PHP administrative endpoints

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for the PHPGurukul application and monitor for SQL-related error messages
• Implement real-time alerting for requests containing SQL metacharacters to administrative endpoints
• Review database access logs for unauthorized SELECT, UPDATE, DELETE, or administrative operations
• Monitor network traffic for data exfiltration patterns following SQL injection attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-4151

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the /admin/ directory using IP-based access controls or VPN requirements
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection in front of the application
• Review and audit all administrative functionality for similar input validation vulnerabilities
• Consider taking the vulnerable endpoint offline until a patch is available or input validation is implemented

Patch Information

No official patch has been released by PHPGurukul at the time of this advisory. Organizations should monitor the PHP Gurukul Resource Hub for security updates. In the absence of an official fix, manual remediation through implementing prepared statements and input validation is strongly recommended.

Workarounds

• Implement prepared statements (PDO or MySQLi with parameterized queries) for all database interactions in the affected file
• Add strict input validation to the fromdate parameter, allowing only properly formatted date strings
• Deploy a WAF rule to filter requests containing SQL injection patterns to the vulnerable endpoint
• Restrict access to administrative interfaces to trusted IP addresses only

# Example Apache configuration to restrict admin access
<Directory "/var/www/html/admin">
    Order Deny,Allow
    Deny from all
    Allow from 192.168.1.0/24
    Allow from 10.0.0.0/8
</Directory>