CVE-2025-5859: PHPGurukul Nipah Virus Testing SQLI Flaw

CVE-2025-5859 Overview

CVE-2025-5859 is a SQL injection vulnerability in PHPGurukul Nipah Virus Testing Management System 1.0. The flaw resides in the /test-details.php script, where the assignto parameter is concatenated into a SQL query without proper sanitization. Remote authenticated attackers can manipulate the parameter to inject arbitrary SQL statements against the backend database. The issue is tracked under [CWE-89] (SQL Injection) and [CWE-74] (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements). Public exploit details have been disclosed through VulDB and a GitHub issue, increasing the likelihood of opportunistic exploitation against exposed deployments.

Critical Impact
Authenticated remote attackers can inject SQL through the assignto parameter in /test-details.php, enabling unauthorized read or modification of patient testing records stored in the application database.

Affected Products

PHPGurukul Nipah Virus Testing Management System 1.0
CPE: cpe:2.3:a:phpgurukul:nipah_virus_testing_management_system:1.0
Component: phpgurukul:nipah_virus_testing_management_system

Discovery Timeline

2025-06-09 - CVE-2025-5859 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-5859

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a classic SQL injection in a PHP web application. The /test-details.php endpoint accepts an assignto request parameter and incorporates the value directly into a SQL statement executed against the application database. Because the input is neither parameterized nor escaped, an attacker can break out of the intended query context using SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, comments, and UNION clauses.

Exploitation requires network reachability to the web application and a low-privilege account, since the CVSS vector lists PR:L. Once a valid session is obtained, the attacker submits crafted values in the assignto argument to retrieve arbitrary rows, enumerate schema, or modify records. The application stores Nipah virus test data, so successful exploitation exposes patient identifiers, test results, and administrative assignments.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements used in a SQL command [CWE-89]. The assignto parameter flows from the HTTP request into a dynamic query string without prepared statements or input validation. PHPGurukul applications historically rely on mysqli_query with concatenated strings, which makes any user-controlled value an injection sink unless explicitly sanitized.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and remote. An authenticated user submits a request to /test-details.php with a malicious assignto parameter value. Typical payloads append boolean conditions, time-based delays, or UNION SELECT clauses to exfiltrate data. The vulnerability does not require user interaction beyond the attacker's own request, and public exploit information is referenced in the GitHub Issue Discussion and VulDB #311605.

No verified proof-of-concept code is reproduced here. Refer to the linked advisories for technical payload details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-5859

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to /test-details.php containing SQL metacharacters in the assignto parameter, such as single quotes, --, UNION, SLEEP(, or INFORMATION_SCHEMA.
Web server access logs showing repeated test-details.php requests from the same source with varying assignto values, indicating automated probing.
Database error messages referencing assignto or unexpected MySQL syntax errors logged by the PHP application.

Detection Strategies

Deploy web application firewall rules that inspect query and POST parameters on /test-details.php for SQL injection signatures.
Enable database query logging and alert on queries from the application user that include UNION, SLEEP, or schema enumeration against information_schema.
Correlate authentication events with abnormal access patterns to test-details.php to identify abuse of low-privilege accounts.

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor outbound data volumes from the database host for sudden spikes that may indicate bulk record exfiltration.
Track HTTP 500 responses from /test-details.php, as injection probes frequently trigger backend SQL syntax errors.
Review application audit trails for unexpected record modifications in the test assignment tables.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-5859

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network access to the PHPGurukul Nipah Virus Testing Management System until a fix is applied, limiting exposure to trusted networks only.
Rotate credentials for all application and database accounts, since authenticated injection may have exposed stored data including password hashes.
Review database audit logs for queries against patient and assignment tables originating from the application user.

Patch Information

No official vendor patch is referenced in the NVD entry or in the PHP Gurukul Resource advisory listings at the time of publication. Operators should monitor the vendor site and the VulDB CTI ID #311605 entry for fix availability. Until a patch ships, code-level remediation requires rewriting the affected query in /test-details.php to use parameterized statements with mysqli_prepare or PDO bound parameters.

Workarounds

Apply a virtual patch in a web application firewall to block requests where the assignto parameter contains SQL metacharacters or non-numeric content.
Enforce strict server-side input validation that constrains assignto to an expected data type, such as an integer user identifier.
Configure the database account used by the application with least-privilege grants, removing FILE, DROP, and write privileges on non-essential tables.
Consider decommissioning the deployment if it is not actively required, given that the affected product is a small PHP application without ongoing security maintenance.

bash

# Example ModSecurity rule to block SQLi patterns on the affected endpoint
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@beginsWith /test-details.php" \
    "phase:2,chain,deny,status:403,id:1005859,msg:'CVE-2025-5859 SQLi attempt on assignto'"
    SecRule ARGS:assignto "@rx (?i)(union(\s|/\*).*select|sleep\s*\(|information_schema|--|';)" "t:none,t:urlDecodeUni"