CVE-2025-5213 Overview
A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been discovered in projectworlds Responsive E-Learning System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the /admin/delete_file.php file where improper handling of the ID parameter allows attackers to inject malicious SQL commands. This flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate database queries without authentication, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion of sensitive educational records.
Critical Impact
Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to bypass authentication, exfiltrate sensitive user data, modify or delete database records, and potentially compromise the entire e-learning platform.
Affected Products
- Jkev Responsive E-Learning System 1.0
- projectworlds Responsive E-Learning System installations using vulnerable /admin/delete_file.php endpoint
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-05-27 - CVE-2025-5213 published to NVD
- 2025-06-05 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-5213
Vulnerability Analysis
This SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) exists in the administrative file deletion functionality of the Responsive E-Learning System. The vulnerable endpoint /admin/delete_file.php fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input in the ID parameter before incorporating it into SQL queries. This allows attackers to craft malicious input that modifies the intended SQL command structure.
The vulnerability also falls under CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component), indicating that special characters in user input are not properly escaped or validated before being used in database operations.
The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of widespread exploitation against unpatched systems. Since the attack can be launched remotely over the network without requiring authentication, any internet-facing installation of this e-learning platform is potentially at risk.
Root Cause
The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation and the lack of parameterized queries in the /admin/delete_file.php file. The ID parameter is directly concatenated into SQL queries without proper sanitization, escaping, or the use of prepared statements. This allows SQL metacharacters and commands to be interpreted by the database engine rather than being treated as literal data.
Attack Vector
The attack can be executed remotely over the network. An attacker can craft HTTP requests to the vulnerable /admin/delete_file.php endpoint with malicious SQL payloads embedded in the ID parameter. Common exploitation techniques include:
- Union-based SQL injection to extract data from other database tables
- Boolean-based blind SQL injection to infer database contents
- Time-based blind SQL injection using database delay functions
- Stacked queries to execute multiple SQL statements (if supported by the database configuration)
Successful exploitation could allow attackers to access student records, authentication credentials, course materials, and other sensitive educational data stored in the database.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-5213
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual HTTP requests to /admin/delete_file.php with suspicious ID parameter values containing SQL syntax
- Database error messages appearing in web server logs or responses
- Unexpected database queries or query patterns in database audit logs
- Signs of data exfiltration or unauthorized database access
Detection Strategies
- Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect SQL injection patterns in the ID parameter
- Monitor web server access logs for requests to /admin/delete_file.php containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, DROP, OR 1=1, and single quotes
- Enable database query logging and alert on anomalous query patterns or errors
- Deploy intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for SQL injection attacks
Monitoring Recommendations
- Configure real-time alerting for suspicious requests to administrative endpoints
- Implement database activity monitoring to detect unauthorized data access patterns
- Review web application logs regularly for signs of exploitation attempts
- Monitor for unusual outbound data transfers that may indicate data exfiltration
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-5213
Immediate Actions Required
- Restrict access to /admin/delete_file.php and all administrative endpoints using network-level controls
- Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block SQL injection attempts
- Consider taking the vulnerable application offline until proper remediation can be applied
- Review database access logs for evidence of prior exploitation
Patch Information
No official vendor patch has been released at the time of this writing. Organizations using the Responsive E-Learning System should contact the vendor for security updates or apply manual code fixes to implement parameterized queries.
For technical details and proof of concept information, refer to the GitHub Issue Discussion and VulDB entry #310309.
Workarounds
- Implement input validation to whitelist only numeric values for the ID parameter
- Modify the vulnerable code to use prepared statements with parameterized queries
- Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF to filter malicious SQL injection payloads
- Restrict network access to administrative functions to trusted IP addresses only
- Consider implementing application-level authentication checks before processing the ID parameter
# Example: Restrict access to admin directory via Apache .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>
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
