CVE-2025-7436: Campcodes Recruitment System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2025-7436 Overview

A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in Campcodes Online Recruitment Management System version 1.0. The flaw exists in the file /admin/ajax.php?action=delete_vacancy and can be exploited through manipulation of the ID parameter. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to inject malicious SQL commands, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion of database contents.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to compromise database integrity, extract sensitive recruitment data, and potentially gain unauthorized access to the underlying system without authentication.

Affected Products

• Campcodes Online Recruitment Management System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-07-11 - CVE-2025-7436 published to NVD
• 2025-07-16 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-7436

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component), commonly known as injection. The affected endpoint /admin/ajax.php?action=delete_vacancy fails to properly sanitize the ID parameter before incorporating it into SQL queries. This allows attackers to manipulate database operations by injecting arbitrary SQL syntax through the vulnerable parameter.

The vulnerability can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring authentication or user interaction. When successfully exploited, attackers can potentially read sensitive data from the database, modify existing records, delete data, or in some configurations, execute administrative operations on the database server.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper input validation and lack of parameterized queries in the delete_vacancy action handler within ajax.php. The application directly concatenates user-supplied input from the ID parameter into SQL queries without proper sanitization or the use of prepared statements. This classic SQL injection pattern allows attackers to break out of the intended query structure and execute arbitrary SQL commands.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, allowing remote exploitation without physical access to the target system. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests to the vulnerable endpoint, inserting SQL payloads into the ID parameter. Since this endpoint appears to be within the /admin/ directory, it may be intended for administrative use; however, the lack of proper authentication checks combined with the SQL injection vulnerability creates a significant security risk.

The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed, and exploit information is available. Attackers can leverage techniques such as UNION-based injection, blind SQL injection, or time-based blind injection depending on the application's response behavior.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-7436

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual HTTP requests to /admin/ajax.php?action=delete_vacancy containing SQL syntax characters such as single quotes, double dashes, or UNION keywords in the ID parameter
• Database error messages or unexpected application behavior following requests to the affected endpoint
• Anomalous database queries appearing in database logs, particularly those containing injection patterns
• Unexpected data modifications or deletions in recruitment-related database tables

Detection Strategies

• Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in requests to the affected endpoint
• Monitor web server access logs for requests containing suspicious characters or SQL keywords in the ID parameter
• Configure database auditing to log and alert on unusual query patterns or failed SQL syntax
• Deploy intrusion detection systems (IDS) with SQL injection signature detection capabilities

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for the /admin/ajax.php endpoint and review logs regularly for exploitation attempts
• Set up real-time alerting for database query anomalies and error conditions
• Monitor for unauthorized data access patterns in recruitment database tables
• Implement application-level logging to capture parameter values and query execution details

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-7436

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict access to the /admin/ directory using IP-based access controls or VPN requirements
• Implement input validation to reject non-numeric values in the ID parameter
• Consider temporarily disabling the delete_vacancy functionality until a proper fix is applied
• Review web server and database logs for signs of prior exploitation attempts

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been released at the time of publication. Organizations using Campcodes Online Recruitment Management System 1.0 should contact the vendor for remediation guidance or implement the workarounds described below. Additional technical details and vulnerability information can be found in the VulDB entry and the GitHub CVE issue.

Workarounds

• Implement a web application firewall (WAF) rule to filter SQL injection attempts targeting the vulnerable endpoint
• Modify the source code to use prepared statements with parameterized queries for all database operations involving user input
• Add input validation to ensure the ID parameter only accepts numeric integer values
• Restrict network access to the administrative interface using firewall rules or authentication proxies
• Consider deploying a reverse proxy with SQL injection detection capabilities in front of the application

# Example Apache .htaccess configuration to restrict admin access
<Directory "/var/www/html/admin">
    Order Deny,Allow
    Deny from all
    Allow from 192.168.1.0/24
    Allow from 10.0.0.0/8
</Directory>