CVE-2025-7138: Salon Management System SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2025-7138 Overview

CVE-2025-7138 is a SQL injection vulnerability in SourceCodester Best Salon Management System 1.0, developed by Mayurik. The flaw resides in the /panel/admin-profile.php endpoint, where the adminname parameter is passed to a database query without proper sanitization. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can manipulate this parameter to inject arbitrary SQL statements. The issue is classified under [CWE-74] (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component). The exploit details have been disclosed publicly through VulDB and a GitHub write-up, increasing the likelihood of opportunistic abuse against exposed instances.

Critical Impact
Remote attackers with low-privileged access can manipulate the adminname parameter to execute arbitrary SQL queries against the backend database, potentially exposing administrative credentials and customer records.

Affected Products

Mayurik Best Salon Management System 1.0
SourceCodester distributions of the same application
Deployments using the vulnerable /panel/admin-profile.php endpoint

Discovery Timeline

2025-07-07 - CVE-2025-7138 published to NVD
2026-04-29 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-7138

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability exists in the administrative profile management feature of Best Salon Management System 1.0. The /panel/admin-profile.php script accepts the adminname argument from user input and concatenates it directly into a SQL query string. Because the application does not apply parameterized queries or input validation, the database engine interprets attacker-controlled characters as SQL syntax. This allows extraction, modification, or deletion of records stored in the underlying MySQL database. The current EPSS probability is 0.268%, placing it in the 50th percentile of vulnerabilities by predicted exploitation likelihood.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements in a SQL command [CWE-74]. The adminname POST parameter is interpolated into a query targeting the admin table without sanitization, escaping, or prepared statements. Standard SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, comments, and UNION keywords pass through to the database driver unmodified.

Attack Vector

The attack is remote and requires only low-privileged authenticated access to the admin panel. An attacker submits a crafted adminname value containing SQL payloads through the profile update form. Successful injection enables data exfiltration via UNION SELECT statements, authentication bypass through boolean-based conditions, or destructive operations against the database. No user interaction beyond the attacker's own request is required.

No verified proof-of-concept code is available for direct reproduction. Technical details of the injection point are documented in the GitHub SQL Injection Analysis and VulDB #315052.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-7138

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP POST requests to /panel/admin-profile.php containing SQL metacharacters such as ', --, UNION, or SLEEP( in the adminname field
Unexpected database errors or extended response times originating from the admin profile endpoint
New or modified rows in the admin table that do not correspond to legitimate administrative activity
Web server access logs showing repeated requests to admin-profile.php from a single source within a short window

Detection Strategies

Deploy web application firewall rules that inspect POST parameters submitted to admin-profile.php for SQL injection signatures
Enable MySQL general query logging and alert on queries against the admin table that contain tautologies or stacked statements
Correlate authentication events with administrative profile changes to identify suspicious sequences

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward web server, PHP error, and database logs to a centralized SIEM for cross-source correlation
Establish a baseline of normal request volume to /panel/ endpoints and alert on deviations
Monitor outbound database connections from the web application host for unusual data volumes that may indicate exfiltration

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-7138

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network access to the /panel/ administrative interface using IP allowlists or a VPN gateway
Rotate all administrative credentials and review the admin table for unauthorized entries
Audit recent web server logs for requests matching SQL injection patterns against admin-profile.php
Consider taking the application offline if it is internet-facing until a vendor patch is available

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been published by Mayurik or SourceCodester at the time of this writing. Administrators should monitor the SourceCodester Repository for updates and review the VulDB Submission #605985 entry for remediation status.

Workarounds

Modify admin-profile.php to use PHP Data Objects (PDO) prepared statements with bound parameters for the adminname field
Apply server-side input validation that rejects non-alphanumeric characters in the adminname value before any database interaction
Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF rule that blocks SQL syntax tokens in form submissions to the admin panel
Run the MySQL service account with least-privilege permissions to limit the blast radius of successful injection

bash

# Example ModSecurity rule blocking SQL metacharacters on the vulnerable endpoint
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@streq /panel/admin-profile.php" \
    "id:1007138,phase:2,deny,status:403,\
    chain,msg:'CVE-2025-7138 SQLi attempt on adminname'"
    SecRule ARGS:adminname "@rx (?i)(\bunion\b|\bselect\b|--|;|/\*|\bsleep\s*\()" "t:none,t:urlDecode"