CVE-2025-5561: PHPGurukul Curfew E-pass SQLI Vulnerability

CVE-2025-5561 Overview

A critical SQL Injection vulnerability has been identified in PHPGurukul Curfew e-Pass Management System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the /admin/view-pass-detail.php file, where improper handling of the viewid parameter allows attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. This flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate database queries without authentication, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, data modification, or complete database compromise.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL Injection vulnerability to extract sensitive information from the database, bypass authentication mechanisms, modify or delete critical data, and potentially achieve further system compromise through database-level attacks.

Affected Products

• PHPGurukul Curfew e-Pass Management System version 1.0
• Deployments using the vulnerable /admin/view-pass-detail.php endpoint
• Systems with accessible admin interfaces exposed to untrusted networks

Discovery Timeline

• June 4, 2025 - CVE-2025-5561 published to NVD
• June 10, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-5561

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation in the administrative interface of the Curfew e-Pass Management System. The viewid parameter in /admin/view-pass-detail.php is directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization. When an attacker supplies a crafted viewid value containing SQL metacharacters or additional SQL statements, the application's database engine executes these injected commands alongside the legitimate query.

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component), which encompasses injection flaws where user-controlled input is not properly sanitized before being used in a sensitive context. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of exploitation in the wild.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the lack of proper input validation and parameterized queries in the PHP code handling the viewid parameter. The application directly concatenates user-supplied input into SQL statements without using prepared statements, escaping special characters, or implementing input whitelisting. This architectural weakness allows attackers to break out of the intended query structure and inject arbitrary SQL commands.

Attack Vector

The attack can be launched remotely over the network without requiring any authentication or user interaction. An attacker can craft a malicious HTTP request to the /admin/view-pass-detail.php endpoint with a specially crafted viewid parameter containing SQL injection payloads.

The exploitation process typically involves:

1. Identifying the vulnerable endpoint at /admin/view-pass-detail.php
2. Manipulating the viewid parameter with SQL injection payloads
3. Using techniques such as UNION-based injection, boolean-based blind injection, or time-based blind injection to extract data
4. Potentially escalating to authentication bypass or data manipulation

For detailed technical analysis and proof-of-concept information, refer to the GitHub Issue on myCVE and VulDB CTI Report #311011.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-5561

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed requests to /admin/view-pass-detail.php containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, double dashes, or UNION keywords
• Database error messages in application logs indicating SQL syntax errors
• Unexpected database queries or access patterns in database audit logs
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unauthorized database modifications

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in the viewid parameter
• Enable detailed logging for the /admin/view-pass-detail.php endpoint and monitor for suspicious parameter values
• Implement database activity monitoring to detect anomalous queries originating from the web application
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common SQL injection attack patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor HTTP access logs for requests containing SQL keywords (UNION, SELECT, INSERT, DELETE, DROP) in URL parameters
• Set up alerts for database errors that may indicate injection attempts
• Track failed and unusual authentication attempts that may follow SQL injection reconnaissance
• Review database query logs for unexpected data extraction patterns

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-5561

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict access to the administrative interface (/admin/) using IP whitelisting or VPN requirements
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall with SQL injection protection rules in front of the application
• Disable or remove the vulnerable endpoint if not immediately required
• Audit database access logs for evidence of prior exploitation

Patch Information

As of the last NVD update on June 10, 2025, no official patch has been released by PHPGurukul for this vulnerability. Organizations are advised to monitor the PHP Gurukul Security Resources for security updates and patches. In the absence of an official fix, implementing the workarounds below is critical to reduce exposure.

Workarounds

• Implement input validation at the application level by sanitizing the viewid parameter to accept only numeric values
• Use prepared statements with parameterized queries if modifying the source code is possible
• Place the administrative interface behind additional authentication layers such as HTTP Basic Auth or VPN access
• Consider migrating to an alternative e-Pass management solution that follows secure coding practices

# Configuration example - Apache mod_security rule to block SQL injection attempts
# Add to Apache configuration or .htaccess file
SecRule ARGS:viewid "@rx (?i)(union|select|insert|delete|drop|update|--|;|')" \
    "id:100001,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'Potential SQL Injection in viewid parameter'"