CVE-2025-5560: PHPGurukul Curfew E-pass SQLI Vulnerability

CVE-2025-5560 Overview

A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in PHPGurukul Curfew e-Pass Management System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the /index.php file where the searchdata parameter is not properly sanitized before being used in SQL queries. This allows remote attackers to inject malicious SQL statements through the search functionality, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, data manipulation, or complete database compromise.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability without authentication to extract sensitive data, modify database records, or potentially achieve further system compromise through database-level attacks.

Affected Products

• PHPGurukul Curfew e-Pass Management System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-06-04 - CVE-2025-5560 published to NVD
• 2025-06-10 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-5560

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability stems from improper input validation in the search functionality of the Curfew e-Pass Management System. The searchdata parameter in /index.php accepts user-controlled input that is directly concatenated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterized query implementation. This classic injection vulnerability allows attackers to break out of the intended query context and execute arbitrary SQL commands against the backend database.

The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it is accessible remotely without requiring any form of authentication, making it exploitable by any attacker who can reach the application over the network. The public disclosure of this exploit increases the urgency for organizations using this software to take immediate action.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-5560 is the failure to implement proper input validation and parameterized queries (prepared statements) when handling the searchdata parameter. The application directly incorporates user-supplied input into SQL query strings, violating the principle of separating code from data. This is classified under CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component), which encompasses injection vulnerabilities where untrusted data is not properly neutralized before being interpreted as commands.

Attack Vector

The attack is conducted remotely over the network by sending specially crafted HTTP requests to the /index.php endpoint. An attacker manipulates the searchdata parameter to include SQL syntax that alters the intended query logic. Common attack techniques include:

The attacker can inject SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, comments, and UNION statements to manipulate query execution. For example, injecting values like ' OR '1'='1 could bypass authentication or search filters, while UNION-based injections could extract data from other database tables. Time-based blind SQL injection techniques may also be applicable if error messages are suppressed, allowing attackers to infer database contents through response timing analysis.

For technical details and proof-of-concept information, refer to the GitHub Issue Discussion and VulDB #311010.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-5560

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL error messages in application or web server logs referencing /index.php
• HTTP requests to /index.php containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, OR, AND, or comment sequences (--, /*)
• Abnormal database query patterns or unexpected data extraction attempts
• Web access logs showing encoded SQL injection payloads in the searchdata parameter

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in request parameters
• Implement intrusion detection signatures for common SQL injection attack strings targeting the searchdata parameter
• Enable detailed logging for database queries to identify malformed or suspicious SQL statements
• Configure SentinelOne Singularity Platform to monitor for web application exploitation attempts and database anomalies

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor web server access logs for repeated requests to /index.php with varying searchdata values indicative of injection probing
• Set up alerts for database errors that may indicate failed injection attempts
• Track network traffic for data exfiltration patterns following potential SQL injection compromise
• Implement continuous vulnerability scanning to identify exposed PHPGurukul installations

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-5560

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict public access to the Curfew e-Pass Management System until a patch is available
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules
• Review application logs for signs of exploitation and conduct incident response if compromise is detected
• Consider temporarily disabling the search functionality in /index.php if possible

Patch Information

As of the last update on 2025-06-10, no official patch has been released by PHPGurukul for this vulnerability. Organizations should monitor the PHP Gurukul Website for security updates. If source code access is available, implement prepared statements and parameterized queries for all database operations involving user input.

Workarounds

• Deploy input validation to sanitize the searchdata parameter, rejecting or escaping SQL metacharacters
• Implement prepared statements with parameterized queries in the application code if manual patching is feasible
• Place the application behind a reverse proxy with SQL injection filtering capabilities
• Restrict network access to the application using firewall rules to limit exposure to trusted IP ranges only

# Example Apache ModSecurity WAF rule to block SQL injection attempts
SecRule ARGS:searchdata "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:1001,\
    phase:2,\
    deny,\
    status:403,\
    log,\
    msg:'SQL Injection Attempt Detected in searchdata parameter',\
    tag:'attack-sqli'"