CVE-2025-4911: Zoo Management System SQL Injection Flaw

CVE-2025-4911 Overview

A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in PHPGurukul Zoo Management System version 2.1. The vulnerability exists in the administrative interface, specifically within the /admin/view-foreigner-ticket.php file. Improper sanitization of the viewid parameter allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary SQL commands, potentially compromising the entire database and underlying system.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to extract sensitive data, modify database records, bypass authentication mechanisms, or potentially achieve further system compromise through database-level attacks.

Affected Products

• PHPGurukul Zoo Management System version 2.1
• Systems running the vulnerable /admin/view-foreigner-ticket.php endpoint

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-05-19 - CVE-2025-4911 published to NVD
• 2025-05-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-4911

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability affects the administrative ticket viewing functionality in PHPGurukul Zoo Management System. The vulnerable endpoint /admin/view-foreigner-ticket.php accepts a viewid parameter that is directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization. This classic injection flaw enables attackers to manipulate database queries by crafting malicious input that escapes the intended query context.

The vulnerability is network-accessible, meaning attackers can exploit it remotely without requiring authentication to the target system. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of opportunistic attacks against unpatched installations.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is inadequate input validation and the use of unsanitized user-supplied data in SQL query construction. The viewid parameter is passed directly into SQL statements without:

• Prepared statements with parameterized queries
• Input validation to ensure expected data types
• Proper escaping of special characters
• Whitelisting of acceptable input values

This allows attackers to inject SQL metacharacters and additional SQL syntax that alters the intended query logic.

Attack Vector

The attack can be executed remotely over the network by sending crafted HTTP requests to the vulnerable endpoint. An attacker would manipulate the viewid parameter in a GET or POST request to /admin/view-foreigner-ticket.php, injecting SQL code that gets executed by the database server.

Typical exploitation scenarios include:

• Data Exfiltration: Using UNION-based or blind SQL injection techniques to extract sensitive information such as user credentials, ticket records, and administrative data
• Authentication Bypass: Manipulating queries to bypass login controls
• Data Manipulation: Inserting, updating, or deleting database records
• Privilege Escalation: Extracting password hashes or modifying user roles

The vulnerability is accessible through standard HTTP requests, requiring no special tools or elevated privileges. Attackers can leverage common SQL injection techniques including error-based, UNION-based, boolean-based blind, and time-based blind injection methods. For technical details and proof of concept, refer to the GitHub Issue Tracker.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-4911

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed requests to /admin/view-foreigner-ticket.php containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, DROP, or comment sequences (--, /**/)
• Database error messages appearing in application logs or responses
• Unexpected database queries or query patterns in database logs
• Anomalous data access patterns or bulk data extraction from the database

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in the viewid parameter
• Monitor web server access logs for requests to /admin/view-foreigner-ticket.php with suspicious query strings
• Implement database activity monitoring to detect anomalous queries or unauthorized data access
• Enable detailed application logging to capture input validation failures and database errors

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure alerts for repeated failed database queries originating from the vulnerable endpoint
• Establish baseline database query patterns and alert on deviations
• Monitor for outbound data transfers that could indicate successful data exfiltration
• Review authentication logs for signs of credential stuffing using extracted data

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-4911

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict access to the /admin/ directory using IP whitelisting or VPN requirements
• Implement Web Application Firewall rules to filter SQL injection attempts targeting the viewid parameter
• Consider temporarily disabling the vulnerable endpoint if not critical to operations
• Audit database access logs for signs of prior exploitation

Patch Information

At the time of publication, no official patch has been released by PHPGurukul for this vulnerability. Administrators should monitor the PHPGurukul website for security updates. Given the lack of an official patch, implementing manual code fixes or deploying compensating controls is strongly recommended.

For additional vulnerability details, refer to VulDB #309468.

Workarounds

• Modify the source code of /admin/view-foreigner-ticket.php to use prepared statements with parameterized queries for all database operations involving the viewid parameter
• Implement strict input validation to ensure viewid contains only numeric values using PHP's filter_var() function with FILTER_VALIDATE_INT
• Add authentication requirements and role-based access controls to the administrative interface
• Deploy network segmentation to isolate the application server from direct internet access

# Example: Restrict admin access via .htaccess
<Directory "/var/www/html/admin">
    Order Deny,Allow
    Deny from all
    Allow from 192.168.1.0/24
    Allow from 10.0.0.0/8
</Directory>