CVE-2025-4243: Online Bus Reservation System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2025-4243 Overview

CVE-2025-4243 is a SQL injection vulnerability in code-projects Online Bus Reservation System 1.0. The flaw resides in the /print.php script, where the ID parameter is passed directly to a database 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 attacks against exposed installations. The vulnerability is classified under [CWE-74] (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component).

Critical Impact
Remote attackers with low-privilege access can extract, modify, or delete data stored in the reservation system database through crafted requests to /print.php.

Affected Products

Fabian Online Bus Reservation System 1.0
/print.php endpoint processing the ID parameter
Deployments distributed via code-projects.org

Discovery Timeline

2025-05-03 - CVE-2025-4243 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-4243

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability exists in the print.php file of the Online Bus Reservation System 1.0. The application constructs a SQL query using the ID request parameter without applying input validation, parameterized queries, or prepared statements. An attacker submits a modified ID value containing SQL syntax, and the database engine executes the injected clauses alongside the intended query.

Successful exploitation allows the attacker to read unauthorized data from the database, including reservation records and administrator credentials if stored. Depending on database permissions, an attacker may also modify or delete records. The attack is remote and requires only low privileges according to the CVSS 4.0 vector.

The exploit has been publicly disclosed through a GitHub repository, lowering the barrier to weaponization. See the GitHub Vulnerability Exploration writeup for technical details.

Root Cause

The root cause is direct concatenation of user-controlled input into a SQL statement within print.php. The application does not use prepared statements or validate that the ID parameter contains only expected numeric characters. This design flaw maps to [CWE-74] and enables classic in-band SQL injection.

Attack Vector

An attacker sends a crafted HTTP request to /print.php with a malicious value in the ID parameter. Because the endpoint is network-accessible and requires no user interaction, the attack can be automated at scale. The vulnerability manifests through standard SQL injection payloads targeting the vulnerable query. Refer to the published VulDB entry #307334 for additional context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-4243

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to /print.php containing SQL metacharacters such as ', ", --, UNION, SELECT, or SLEEP in the ID parameter
Web server logs showing abnormally long query strings targeting the ID argument
Unexpected database error messages returned to clients from print.php
Sudden spikes in outbound data volume from the web application host

Detection Strategies

Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules that inspect the ID parameter for SQL injection signatures
Enable database query logging and alert on anomalous queries originating from print.php
Perform static analysis of the PHP source code to locate direct concatenation of $_GET['ID'] into SQL statements
Run authenticated vulnerability scans against the reservation system to confirm exploitability

Monitoring Recommendations

Correlate web access logs with database audit logs to identify injection attempts that resulted in successful queries
Monitor for new database users, altered tables, or exported data following requests to /print.php
Alert on repeated 500-series HTTP responses from the reservation endpoint, which often indicate injection probing

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-4243

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network access to the Online Bus Reservation System 1.0 application until a fix is available
Deploy WAF rules to block SQL injection payloads targeting the ID parameter on /print.php
Review database audit logs for evidence of prior exploitation and rotate any exposed credentials
Ensure the database account used by the application has least-privilege permissions

Patch Information

No vendor patch has been published for CVE-2025-4243 at the time of writing. The affected software is distributed through code-projects.org as an educational project. Operators should monitor the project page and the VulDB advisory for remediation updates. In the absence of an upstream fix, administrators should modify print.php to use prepared statements with bound parameters.

Workarounds

Replace direct SQL concatenation in print.php with PDO or mysqli prepared statements binding the ID parameter as an integer
Add server-side input validation that rejects any non-numeric value for the ID parameter before it reaches the query
Disable the print.php endpoint if it is not required for production operation
Place the application behind an authenticated reverse proxy to limit exposure to untrusted networks

bash

# Example WAF rule (ModSecurity) to block SQLi on the ID parameter
SecRule ARGS:ID "@rx (?i)(union(\s|/\*.*?\*/)+select|--|;|'|\"|sleep\(|benchmark\()" \
    "id:1004243,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'CVE-2025-4243 SQLi attempt on print.php ID parameter'"