CVE-2025-4481: Apartment Visitor Management SQL Injection

CVE-2025-4481 Overview

A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been discovered in SourceCodester Apartment Visitor Management System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the /search-result.php file, where the searchdata parameter is not properly sanitized, allowing attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. This vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication, potentially compromising the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the underlying database.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to extract sensitive visitor data, modify database records, or potentially gain unauthorized access to the apartment management system.

Affected Products

• SourceCodester Apartment Visitor Management System 1.0
• oretnom23 apartment_visitor_management_system

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-05-09 - CVE-2025-4481 published to NVD
• 2025-05-16 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-4481

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability affects the search functionality within the Apartment Visitor Management System. The /search-result.php endpoint accepts user-supplied input through the searchdata parameter without implementing proper input validation or parameterized queries. When a user submits a search request, the application directly concatenates the input into SQL queries, creating an injection point that attackers can exploit.

The vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote attackers to manipulate database queries, potentially enabling data extraction, modification, or deletion. Since the application manages visitor information for apartment complexes, sensitive personal data including visitor names, contact information, and visit logs could be exposed.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-4481 is improper input validation in the search functionality (CWE-74: Injection). The searchdata parameter in /search-result.php is directly incorporated into SQL queries without sanitization, escaping, or the use of prepared statements. This classic injection flaw allows attackers to break out of the intended query structure and execute arbitrary SQL commands against the backend database.

Attack Vector

The attack can be initiated remotely over the network without requiring any authentication or user interaction. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests to the /search-result.php endpoint, injecting SQL payloads through the searchdata parameter. Common exploitation techniques include UNION-based injection to extract data from other tables, blind SQL injection using time-based or boolean-based techniques, and stacked queries to modify or delete database records.

The vulnerability mechanism involves unsanitized user input being passed directly to SQL query construction. When a search query is submitted, the application fails to validate or escape special characters, allowing SQL syntax to be injected. For technical details regarding exploitation, refer to the GitHub CVE Issue Discussion and VulDB entry #308195.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-4481

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed HTTP requests to /search-result.php containing SQL syntax characters such as single quotes, double dashes, UNION keywords, or semicolons
• Database error messages in application logs indicating syntax errors or unexpected query behavior
• Abnormal database query patterns or slow queries indicative of time-based blind SQL injection attempts
• Unexpected data extraction or modification in visitor management records

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in the searchdata parameter
• Monitor application logs for repeated failed search requests or error messages containing SQL syntax
• Deploy intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common SQL injection payloads
• Review database query logs for anomalous SELECT, UNION, or data manipulation statements

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for the /search-result.php endpoint and analyze request parameters for injection attempts
• Configure database audit logging to track query execution and identify unauthorized data access
• Set up alerts for high-frequency requests to the search functionality that may indicate automated exploitation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-4481

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict access to the /search-result.php endpoint until a patch is applied
• Implement input validation and sanitization for the searchdata parameter
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules
• Review database permissions to limit the application's access to only required tables and operations

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been released for this vulnerability at the time of publication. The affected software is distributed through SourceCodester, and users should monitor the SourceCodester website for security updates. Given that this is an open-source project, organizations using this software should consider implementing custom patches or migrating to a more secure visitor management solution.

Workarounds

• Implement prepared statements or parameterized queries in the /search-result.php file to prevent SQL injection
• Add server-side input validation to reject search queries containing SQL metacharacters
• Deploy network-level access controls to limit who can access the application
• Consider temporarily disabling the search functionality until proper remediation is implemented

# Example: Apache mod_security rule to block SQL injection attempts
SecRule ARGS:searchdata "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:1001,\
    phase:2,\
    deny,\
    status:403,\
    log,\
    msg:'SQL Injection attempt blocked in searchdata parameter'"