CVE-2025-50188: Chamilo LMS SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2025-50188 Overview

CVE-2025-50188 is a SQL Injection vulnerability affecting Chamilo, an open-source learning management system (LMS). The vulnerability exists in the vChamilo plugin where insufficient validation of user-supplied input through the GET value parameter allows attackers to inject arbitrary SQL statements and manipulate database queries. This flaw impacts two specific scripts: /plugin/vchamilo/views/syncparams.php and /plugin/vchamilo/ajax/service.php.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers with high privileges can exploit this SQL Injection vulnerability to extract sensitive data from the database, including user credentials, course information, and potentially compromise the entire learning management platform's data integrity.

Affected Products

Chamilo LMS versions prior to 1.11.30
Chamilo vChamilo plugin (/plugin/vchamilo/views/syncparams.php)
Chamilo vChamilo plugin (/plugin/vchamilo/ajax/service.php)

Discovery Timeline

2026-03-02 - CVE CVE-2025-50188 published to NVD
2026-03-03 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-50188

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) occurs due to improper sanitization of user input in the vChamilo plugin. The vulnerable endpoints accept GET parameters without adequate validation, allowing attackers to inject malicious SQL syntax that gets directly incorporated into database queries. While the vulnerability requires high-privilege authentication to exploit, successful attacks can lead to unauthorized data access and potential denial of service through database manipulation.

The attack is network-accessible and requires no user interaction, making it a significant risk for publicly exposed Chamilo installations. The vulnerability can result in high confidentiality and availability impact, allowing attackers to read sensitive database contents and potentially disrupt service operations.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-50188 lies in the application's failure to properly sanitize and validate user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries. The syncparams.php and service.php scripts within the vChamilo plugin directly use GET parameter values in database operations without employing parameterized queries or proper input escaping. This classic SQL Injection pattern allows attackers to break out of the intended query context and execute arbitrary SQL commands.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is exploited through network-based attacks targeting the affected PHP scripts. An authenticated attacker with administrative privileges can craft malicious HTTP GET requests containing SQL injection payloads in the vulnerable parameter. The injected SQL statements are then executed by the database server in the context of the application's database connection.

The attack flow involves targeting either /plugin/vchamilo/views/syncparams.php or /plugin/vchamilo/ajax/service.php endpoints with specially crafted GET parameters. When the application processes these requests, the unsanitized input is incorporated into SQL queries, allowing the attacker to extract data, modify records, or potentially cause denial of service conditions. For technical details on the vulnerability mechanics, refer to the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-96j3-x45m-9q3r.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-50188

Indicators of Compromise

Unusual HTTP GET requests to /plugin/vchamilo/views/syncparams.php or /plugin/vchamilo/ajax/service.php containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, or comment sequences
Database error messages appearing in application logs indicating malformed SQL queries
Unexpected database query patterns or slow query logs showing injection attempts
Web server access logs showing requests with encoded SQL characters (%27, %22, %3B) targeting vChamilo plugin endpoints

Detection Strategies

Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in requests to Chamilo plugin endpoints
Enable database query logging and monitor for anomalous queries originating from the web application user account
Implement intrusion detection system (IDS) signatures for SQL injection attack patterns targeting the specific vulnerable paths
Review access logs for repeated failed requests or unusual parameter lengths targeting the vChamilo plugin

Monitoring Recommendations

Configure real-time alerting for SQL error messages in application and database logs
Monitor authentication logs for suspicious administrative account activity that may precede exploitation attempts
Establish baseline metrics for database query patterns and alert on significant deviations
Enable detailed access logging for the /plugin/vchamilo/ directory to capture exploitation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-50188

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade Chamilo LMS to version 1.11.30 or later, which contains the security patch for this vulnerability
If immediate upgrade is not possible, disable or restrict access to the vChamilo plugin until patching can be completed
Review database and access logs for any signs of prior exploitation attempts
Implement WAF rules to block SQL injection attempts targeting the affected endpoints

Patch Information

Chamilo has released version 1.11.30 which addresses this SQL Injection vulnerability. The fix is available in commit ef54cc0906a3caaa3e7ac9b640b044f03b1fe733. Organizations should upgrade to this version immediately to remediate the vulnerability.

Workarounds

Disable the vChamilo plugin entirely if it is not required for your Chamilo deployment
Implement network-level access controls to restrict access to the /plugin/vchamilo/ directory to trusted IP addresses only
Deploy a Web Application Firewall with SQL injection protection rules in front of the Chamilo installation
Use .htaccess or web server configuration to block direct access to the vulnerable scripts

bash

# Apache configuration to block access to vulnerable vChamilo endpoints
<Directory "/path/to/chamilo/plugin/vchamilo">
    <FilesMatch "(syncparams\.php|service\.php)$">
        Require ip 10.0.0.0/8 192.168.0.0/16
        # Or deny all access if plugin is not needed
        # Require all denied
    </FilesMatch>
</Directory>