CVE-2025-6154 Overview
A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in PHPGurukul Hostel Management System version 1.0. This vulnerability exists in the file /includes/login.inc.php where the student_roll_no argument is not properly sanitized, allowing attackers to inject malicious SQL statements. The attack can be initiated remotely without authentication, making it particularly dangerous for organizations using this software to manage hostel operations.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to bypass authentication, extract sensitive student and administrative data, modify database records, or potentially gain further access to the underlying system.
Affected Products
- PHPGurukul Hostel Management System 1.0
Discovery Timeline
- June 17, 2025 - CVE-2025-6154 published to NVD
- June 24, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-6154
Vulnerability Analysis
This SQL injection vulnerability affects the login functionality of PHPGurukul Hostel Management System. The vulnerable endpoint at /includes/login.inc.php processes the student_roll_no parameter without adequate input validation or parameterized queries. When a user submits their student roll number during the authentication process, the application directly incorporates this input into SQL queries, creating an injection point that can be exploited remotely.
The exploitation does not require any prior authentication or special privileges, as the vulnerable code path is accessible through the public-facing login interface. An attacker can craft malicious input in the student_roll_no field to manipulate the SQL query logic, potentially bypassing authentication controls entirely or extracting sensitive data from the database.
Root Cause
The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation and the absence of parameterized queries (prepared statements) in the /includes/login.inc.php file. The application fails to sanitize or escape the student_roll_no parameter before incorporating it into SQL statements. 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 sent to an interpreter as part of a command or query.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based, allowing remote exploitation without user interaction. An attacker can target the login page of the Hostel Management System and submit specially crafted payloads in the student_roll_no field. Common SQL injection techniques such as boolean-based blind injection, time-based blind injection, or UNION-based attacks can be employed to extract database contents, bypass authentication, or modify data.
The vulnerability is particularly accessible because it exists in the authentication mechanism, which is typically exposed to unauthenticated users. Attackers may leverage this vulnerability to:
- Bypass the login mechanism entirely by manipulating the authentication query
- Extract sensitive student information, grades, and personal details
- Access administrative accounts and credentials
- Modify or delete database records
- Potentially pivot to deeper system access depending on database permissions
The exploit has been disclosed publicly, as documented in the GitHub CVE Issue Discussion, increasing the risk of active exploitation.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-6154
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual SQL error messages appearing in web server logs related to /includes/login.inc.php
- Multiple failed login attempts with payloads containing SQL metacharacters (single quotes, double dashes, UNION keywords)
- Database queries containing unexpected UNION SELECT statements or conditional logic
- Abnormal database access patterns or queries retrieving large amounts of data from student tables
Detection Strategies
- Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in the student_roll_no parameter
- Implement application-layer logging to capture all input to the login endpoint for forensic analysis
- Configure database monitoring to alert on queries containing suspicious SQL injection signatures
- Use intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common SQL injection attack patterns
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable detailed access logging for the /includes/login.inc.php endpoint
- Monitor database audit logs for unauthorized query patterns or privilege escalation attempts
- Set up alerts for authentication anomalies such as successful logins following multiple failures
- Implement real-time monitoring of web traffic for SQL injection payload signatures targeting the vulnerable parameter
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-6154
Immediate Actions Required
- Immediately restrict public access to the PHPGurukul Hostel Management System login page until remediation is complete
- Implement WAF rules to filter SQL injection attempts targeting the student_roll_no parameter
- Review database logs for any signs of prior exploitation and investigate anomalous queries
- Consider taking the application offline temporarily if it contains sensitive data and cannot be adequately protected
Patch Information
As of the last modification date of June 24, 2025, no official patch has been released by PHPGurukul for this vulnerability. Organizations should monitor the PHP Gurukul Security Resource for security updates. In the absence of an official fix, implementing the workarounds below is strongly recommended.
Additional technical details and community discussion can be found at the VulDB #312629 advisory.
Workarounds
- Modify the source code of /includes/login.inc.php to use prepared statements with parameterized queries instead of directly concatenating user input into SQL queries
- Implement strict input validation on the student_roll_no field to accept only expected formats (alphanumeric characters, specific length restrictions)
- Deploy a web application firewall configured to block SQL injection attack patterns
- Restrict network access to the Hostel Management System to trusted IP ranges only
# Example Apache .htaccess configuration to restrict access
<Files "login.inc.php">
Order Deny,Allow
Deny from all
Allow from 192.168.1.0/24
Allow from 10.0.0.0/8
</Files>
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
