CVE-2025-5677: Campcodes Recruitment System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2025-5677 Overview

A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in Campcodes Online Recruitment Management System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the file /admin/ajax.php?action=save_application where improper handling of the position_id argument allows attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. This flaw can be exploited remotely without authentication, potentially enabling unauthorized access to sensitive recruitment data, manipulation of database contents, and compromise of the entire application.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to extract sensitive data, modify or delete database records, and potentially gain unauthorized administrative access to the recruitment management system.

Affected Products

• Campcodes Online Recruitment Management System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-06-05 - CVE-2025-5677 published to NVD
• 2025-06-10 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-5677

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability resides in the administrative AJAX handler at /admin/ajax.php when processing the save_application action. The position_id parameter is directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterized query implementation. This allows attackers to craft malicious input that breaks out of the intended query structure and executes arbitrary SQL commands against the backend database.

The vulnerability is accessible via the network attack vector, requiring no prior authentication or user interaction to exploit. Since the affected endpoint appears to handle job application data, successful exploitation could expose sensitive applicant information including personal details, resumes, and employment history.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation and the absence of parameterized queries or prepared statements in the application's database interaction layer. The position_id parameter is passed directly from user-controlled input into SQL query construction, violating secure coding practices for database operations. This is classified under CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component), commonly known as injection vulnerabilities.

Attack Vector

The attack can be initiated remotely over the network by sending crafted HTTP requests to the vulnerable endpoint. An attacker would submit a malicious payload through the position_id parameter that contains SQL metacharacters and commands designed to manipulate the query logic.

A typical exploitation scenario involves sending requests to /admin/ajax.php?action=save_application with the position_id parameter containing SQL injection payloads such as UNION-based queries to extract data, boolean-based blind injection to enumerate database contents, or time-based blind techniques to infer information when direct output is not available. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of widespread exploitation.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-5677

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed requests to /admin/ajax.php?action=save_application containing SQL syntax characters such as single quotes, UNION statements, or comment sequences
• Database error messages appearing in application logs or HTTP responses indicating query failures
• Unexpected database query patterns or queries accessing system tables like information_schema
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unauthorized modifications to recruitment-related database tables

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in the position_id parameter and other input fields
• Configure database activity monitoring to alert on anomalous queries, especially those accessing sensitive tables or using UNION/SELECT statements from unexpected sources
• Enable detailed logging for the /admin/ajax.php endpoint and review for suspicious parameter values
• Deploy intrusion detection signatures targeting common SQL injection payloads in HTTP request parameters

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor web server access logs for repeated requests to the vulnerable endpoint with varying payloads indicative of automated scanning or exploitation attempts
• Set up alerts for database connection errors or unusual query execution times that may indicate time-based SQL injection attempts
• Regularly audit database access logs for queries originating from the web application that access unexpected tables or columns
• Implement rate limiting on administrative endpoints to slow down potential exploitation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-5677

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the /admin/ajax.php endpoint using firewall rules or web server access controls until a patch is available
• Implement input validation on the position_id parameter to accept only expected numeric values
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall with SQL injection protection rules as a defensive layer
• Consider temporarily disabling the save_application functionality if it is not business-critical

Patch Information

No official patch has been released by the vendor at this time. Organizations using Campcodes Online Recruitment Management System 1.0 should monitor the CampCodes website for security updates. Additional technical details are available in the VulDB advisory and the GitHub issue report.

Workarounds

• Implement application-level input validation to ensure position_id contains only numeric values before processing
• Use parameterized queries or prepared statements if modifying the source code is possible
• Deploy the application behind a properly configured reverse proxy with SQL injection filtering capabilities
• Limit database user privileges for the web application to the minimum required operations, reducing the impact of successful injection

# Example: Apache .htaccess to restrict access to vulnerable endpoint
<Files "ajax.php">
    # Allow only from trusted internal networks
    Require ip 10.0.0.0/8 192.168.0.0/16
    # Deny all other access
    Require all denied
</Files>