CVE-2025-4743: Employee Record System SQL Injection Flaw

CVE-2025-4743 Overview

CVE-2025-4743 is a SQL injection vulnerability in code-projects Employee Record System 1.0. The flaw resides in the /dashboard/getData.php endpoint, where the keywords argument is passed to a database query without sufficient sanitization. Remote attackers with low-privileged access can manipulate the parameter to execute arbitrary SQL statements against the backend database. The exploit details have been publicly disclosed, increasing the likelihood of opportunistic abuse. The vulnerability is tracked under [CWE-89] SQL Injection and [CWE-74] Improper Neutralization of Special Elements.

Critical Impact
Authenticated remote attackers can inject SQL through the keywords parameter in /dashboard/getData.php, exposing employee records and enabling data tampering across the Employee Record System database.

Affected Products

code-projects Employee Record System 1.0
Fabian Employee Record System (cpe:2.3:a:fabian:employee_record_system:1.0)
Deployments using the vulnerable /dashboard/getData.php endpoint

Discovery Timeline

2025-05-16 - CVE-2025-4743 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-4743

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability exists in the data retrieval handler at /dashboard/getData.php. The script accepts a user-controlled keywords parameter and concatenates it directly into a SQL query string. Because the input is not parameterized or escaped, an attacker can break out of the intended query context and append arbitrary SQL clauses. According to the EPSS dataset published on 2026-06-23, the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days is approximately 0.389%.

Successful exploitation allows attackers to read arbitrary tables, including employee personal data, credentials, and administrative records. Depending on database permissions, attackers may also modify or delete records, enumerate schema metadata, or pivot toward authentication bypass through credential extraction.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of prepared statements and input validation in getData.php. User-supplied search keywords are interpolated into a dynamic SQL SELECT query, allowing query structure manipulation. The handler trusts client input from the dashboard search functionality without applying allow-list validation or parameter binding.

Attack Vector

The attack is launched remotely over HTTP against the dashboard endpoint. An authenticated user submits a crafted keywords value containing SQL meta-characters such as single quotes, UNION SELECT, or boolean payloads. The injected payload is reflected into the underlying database call. Public exploit documentation is available through the GitHub CVE Exploit Reference and VulDB Entry #309043.

No verified exploit code is reproduced here. Refer to the GitHub CVE Exploit Reference
for the publicly disclosed payload targeting the `keywords` parameter of
/dashboard/getData.php.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-4743

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to /dashboard/getData.php containing SQL meta-characters in the keywords parameter, such as ', --, UNION, SLEEP(, or OR 1=1.
Database error messages or unusually large response bodies returned from getData.php requests.
Unexpected SELECT activity in MySQL query logs referencing tables not normally accessed by the dashboard search workflow.

Detection Strategies

Inspect web server access logs for GET or POST requests to /dashboard/getData.php with encoded SQL syntax in the keywords argument.
Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules tuned for SQL injection patterns targeting PHP applications.
Correlate authentication events with anomalous query patterns to surface low-privileged accounts performing bulk data retrieval.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable MySQL general query logging or audit logging on the Employee Record System database for the duration of the patch rollout.
Alert on spikes in row counts returned from getData.php or repeated requests originating from a single session.
Forward web and database logs to a centralized analytics platform for retrospective hunting against the disclosed payload.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-4743

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network access to the Employee Record System dashboard to trusted internal users until a fixed release is available.
Disable or rate-limit the /dashboard/getData.php endpoint at the reverse proxy if business operations allow.
Rotate database credentials and review accounts that may have been exposed through prior queries.

Patch Information

No vendor patch has been published in the referenced advisories. Administrators should monitor the Code Projects Resource Hub and VulDB CTI ID #309043 for updated guidance. Until an official fix is released, code maintainers should refactor getData.php to use parameterized queries through PDO or mysqli prepared statements and apply server-side allow-list validation for the keywords input.

Workarounds

Place the application behind a WAF with SQL injection signatures and block requests containing SQL syntax in the keywords parameter.
Enforce least-privilege database accounts so the web application cannot read or modify tables outside its intended scope.
Add input validation in getData.php to reject non-alphanumeric characters in the keywords argument before query construction.

bash

# Example nginx rule to block obvious SQLi patterns against the vulnerable endpoint
location /dashboard/getData.php {
    if ($arg_keywords ~* "(\'|--|union|select|sleep\(|or\s+1=1)") {
        return 403;
    }
}