CVE-2025-4155: Boat Booking System SQL Injection Flaw

CVE-2025-4155 Overview

CVE-2025-4155 is a SQL injection vulnerability in PHPGurukul Boat Booking System 1.0. The flaw resides in the /admin/edit-boat.php script, where the bid parameter is passed to backend database queries without proper sanitization. An authenticated administrator-level attacker can manipulate the bid argument to inject arbitrary SQL statements. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the likelihood of opportunistic abuse against exposed installations. The vulnerability is classified under [CWE-89] (SQL Injection) and [CWE-74] (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output).

Critical Impact
Remote attackers with low privileges can inject SQL statements through the bid parameter of /admin/edit-boat.php, exposing booking records and administrative data.

Affected Products

PHPGurukul Boat Booking System 1.0
Vendor: phpgurukul
Affected file: /admin/edit-boat.php

Discovery Timeline

2025-05-01 - CVE-2025-4155 published to NVD
2025-05-07 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-4155

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability exists in the administrative edit-boat workflow of PHPGurukul Boat Booking System 1.0. The application accepts the bid (boat identifier) parameter from HTTP requests and concatenates it directly into SQL queries used to fetch and modify boat records. Because the parameter lacks server-side validation and parameterization, attackers can inject SQL fragments that alter query logic. Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized data access, modification of booking records, and disclosure of credentials or business data stored in the underlying MySQL database. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, as referenced in the GitHub CVE Issue Discussion and VulDB #306687. The EPSS probability stands at 0.342% (25.91 percentile), indicating limited current exploitation activity but persistent opportunistic risk.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special characters in the bid parameter before it is incorporated into a SQL statement. The PHP code uses string concatenation rather than prepared statements or parameter binding when constructing the query inside /admin/edit-boat.php.

Attack Vector

The attack is conducted remotely over the network against the administrative endpoint. An attacker submits a crafted request such as /admin/edit-boat.php?bid=1' UNION SELECT ...-- - and forces the database to return or modify arbitrary data. The attacker must have low-privilege authenticated access according to the CVSS vector, though weak or default admin credentials are common in deployments of this application.

No verified proof-of-concept code is published in the CVE record. Refer to the VulDB CTI ID #306687 entry for additional technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-4155

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests targeting /admin/edit-boat.php containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, UNION, SELECT, --, or /* in the bid parameter.
Web server access logs showing repeated requests to edit-boat.php with abnormally long or encoded bid values.
Unexpected MySQL error messages or stack traces returned by the application during boat record edits.
New or modified rows in the tblboats, tbluser, or tblbooking tables that do not correspond to legitimate administrative activity.

Detection Strategies

Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) with rules that inspect query string and POST parameters on /admin/* endpoints for SQL injection patterns.
Enable verbose database query logging and alert on syntactically anomalous queries originating from the boat booking application.
Conduct periodic source code review or static analysis on PHPGurukul PHP files to identify unsafe string concatenation in SQL statements.

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward web server, PHP, and MySQL logs to a centralized SIEM and correlate authentication events with database query anomalies.
Baseline normal bid parameter values (typically small integers) and alert on deviations such as quoted strings or SQL keywords.
Monitor outbound traffic from the web server for signs of data exfiltration following suspicious admin panel activity.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-4155

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network access to /admin/edit-boat.php and the entire /admin/ directory using IP allowlists or VPN-only access.
Rotate all administrator credentials and enforce strong, unique passwords for the booking system.
Audit the tblboats and related tables for unauthorized modifications since deployment.
Place the application behind a WAF configured with SQL injection signatures until a vendor patch is available.

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been published in the CVE record. Administrators should monitor PHP Gurukul Security Resources for updates and consider migrating to an actively maintained booking platform. Until a fix is released, code-level remediation requires replacing direct SQL concatenation in /admin/edit-boat.php with parameterized queries using PDO or mysqli prepared statements.

Workarounds

Manually patch /admin/edit-boat.php by casting the bid parameter to an integer with intval() before use in any SQL query.
Convert affected queries to prepared statements with bound parameters to eliminate injection points.
Disable the administrative interface entirely if not actively required, or move it behind HTTP basic authentication on the web server.
Apply WAF virtual patching rules that block requests containing SQL metacharacters in the bid parameter.

bash

# Example Apache configuration to restrict admin access by IP
<Location "/admin/">
    Require ip 10.0.0.0/8
    Require ip 192.168.0.0/16
</Location>