CVE-2025-4458 Overview
CVE-2025-4458 is a SQL injection vulnerability affecting code-projects Patient Record Management System 1.0. The flaw exists in the /edit_upatient.php script, where the ID parameter is passed directly into a SQL query without sanitization. Remote authenticated attackers can manipulate the parameter to inject arbitrary SQL statements against the backend database. The exploit details have been publicly disclosed, increasing the likelihood of opportunistic abuse against exposed instances. The vulnerability maps to [CWE-74] (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component).
Critical Impact
Remote attackers with low privileges can inject SQL statements via the ID parameter in /edit_upatient.php, potentially exposing or modifying patient health records.
Affected Products
- code-projects Patient Record Management System 1.0
- CPE: cpe:2.3:a:code-projects:patient_record_management_system:1.0
- Deployments exposing /edit_upatient.php to authenticated users
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-05-09 - CVE-2025-4458 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-4458
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in /edit_upatient.php, a PHP endpoint used to edit patient records. The application accepts the ID request parameter and concatenates it into a SQL query without parameterization or input validation. An attacker can supply crafted SQL syntax in the ID value to alter the intended query. Successful injection allows extraction of database contents, modification of stored records, or enumeration of the underlying schema. Because the affected system stores patient health data, exploitation can expose personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI). The attack requires network access and low-privilege authentication, but no user interaction.
Root Cause
The root cause is direct concatenation of user-controlled input into an SQL statement in /edit_upatient.php. The code path lacks prepared statements, parameterized queries, and input validation on the ID argument. This aligns with [CWE-74] — improper neutralization of special elements passed to a downstream component.
Attack Vector
Exploitation is performed remotely over HTTP against the vulnerable endpoint. An authenticated attacker sends a modified request containing SQL metacharacters in the ID parameter. The backend evaluates the injected payload as part of the query. Public disclosure of the technique has been published, as referenced in the GitHub CVE Documentation and VulDB ID #308077.
No verified exploit code has been released in a public exploit database. Technical write-ups describe manipulation of the ID argument on the edit_upatient.php endpoint with standard union-based and boolean-based SQL injection techniques.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-4458
Indicators of Compromise
- HTTP requests to /edit_upatient.php containing SQL metacharacters such as ', ", --, UNION, SELECT, or SLEEP( in the ID parameter.
- Web server logs showing abnormally long or URL-encoded values in the ID query string.
- Database error messages returned in HTTP responses referencing MySQL syntax errors originating from edit_upatient.php.
- Unexpected read or write operations against patient tables outside of normal application workflow.
Detection Strategies
- Deploy WAF signatures that inspect the ID parameter on requests to /edit_upatient.php for SQL injection tokens.
- Enable database query logging and alert on queries referencing patient tables that contain concatenated SQL keywords.
- Correlate authenticated user sessions with high volumes of failed or malformed queries to the edit endpoint.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Baseline normal request patterns to /edit_upatient.php and alert on deviations in parameter length or character sets.
- Monitor outbound database connections for exfiltration attempts following suspicious application requests.
- Track privilege changes and record modifications in the patient database against authenticated session identifiers.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-4458
Immediate Actions Required
- Restrict network exposure of the Patient Record Management System to trusted networks or VPN-only access.
- Audit access logs for /edit_upatient.php for any injection attempts since the application was deployed.
- Rotate database credentials used by the application if compromise is suspected.
- Consider taking the application offline until code-level remediation is applied, given the sensitivity of stored PHI.
Patch Information
No official vendor patch has been published in the referenced advisories. Users of code-projects Patient Record Management System 1.0 should consult the Code Projects Resource for updates and refer to the VulDB CTII entry #308077 for status changes. Until a fix is issued, apply source-level remediation by replacing string-concatenated queries in edit_upatient.php with parameterized prepared statements using PDO or MySQLi.
Workarounds
- Place the application behind a Web Application Firewall configured with SQL injection rulesets covering the ID parameter.
- Enforce server-side type validation to ensure ID is a strict integer before use in any query.
- Apply least-privilege permissions to the database account used by the web application, removing DROP, ALTER, and administrative rights.
- Enable prepared statements in the application's data access layer to eliminate string concatenation in SQL construction.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
