CVE-2025-7474: Anisha Job Diary SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2025-7474 Overview

A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in code-projects Job Diary version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the /search.php file, where the Search parameter is improperly handled, allowing attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. This vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication, potentially allowing unauthorized access to the application's database, data exfiltration, and manipulation of stored information.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the database, potentially compromising data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The exploit has been publicly disclosed.

Affected Products

• Anisha Job Diary version 1.0
• code-projects Job Diary /search.php endpoint

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-07-12 - CVE-2025-7474 published to NVD
• 2025-07-15 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-7474

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component) arises from insufficient input validation in the Job Diary application's search functionality. The /search.php endpoint accepts user-supplied input through the Search parameter without proper sanitization or parameterized query implementation. When attackers craft malicious input containing SQL syntax, the application directly incorporates this input into database queries, enabling unauthorized database operations.

The vulnerability is network-accessible and requires no authentication or user interaction to exploit. Attackers can leverage this flaw to extract sensitive data from the database, modify or delete records, and potentially escalate their access depending on the database configuration and privileges.

Root Cause

The root cause stems from inadequate input validation and the use of dynamic SQL query construction. The Search parameter in /search.php is directly concatenated into SQL statements without proper escaping or the use of prepared statements with parameterized queries. This classic injection flaw allows attacker-controlled data to break out of the intended data context and execute as SQL commands.

Attack Vector

The attack can be launched remotely over the network. An attacker sends a specially crafted HTTP request to the /search.php endpoint with malicious SQL syntax embedded in the Search parameter. The vulnerability requires no privileges or authentication, and no user interaction is necessary for exploitation.

The attack exploits the lack of input sanitization in the search functionality. By manipulating the Search parameter with SQL metacharacters and commands, attackers can alter the intended query logic to extract data, bypass authentication mechanisms, or perform other unauthorized database operations. For detailed technical analysis, refer to the VulDB entry and the related GitHub issue.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-7474

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests to /search.php containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes ('), double dashes (--), semicolons (;), or UNION SELECT statements
• Unusual database errors appearing in web server logs related to search queries
• Unexpected database query patterns or large data exports originating from search functionality
• Evidence of time-based blind SQL injection attempts (e.g., SLEEP(), BENCHMARK() functions in request parameters)

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in the Search parameter targeting /search.php
• Implement intrusion detection signatures for common SQL injection payloads in HTTP traffic
• Monitor database query logs for anomalous queries originating from the web application
• Review web server access logs for requests to /search.php with encoded or obfuscated SQL injection payloads

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging on the web server to capture all parameters passed to /search.php
• Configure database auditing to log all queries executed by the web application service account
• Set up alerts for database errors related to SQL syntax violations from the application
• Monitor for data exfiltration indicators such as unusually large response sizes from search endpoints

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-7474

Immediate Actions Required

• Disable or restrict access to the /search.php functionality until a patch is applied
• Implement web application firewall rules to filter SQL injection attempts targeting the vulnerable endpoint
• Review database permissions and ensure the application uses least-privilege database accounts
• Audit database logs for any evidence of prior exploitation

Patch Information

As of the last NVD update on 2025-07-15, no official vendor patch has been released for this vulnerability. Organizations using Job Diary 1.0 should implement the workarounds described below and monitor for updates from code-projects. Given that this is a public project, consider implementing custom fixes or replacing the affected functionality with secure alternatives.

Workarounds

• Implement input validation to sanitize the Search parameter, rejecting or escaping SQL metacharacters
• Modify the application code to use prepared statements with parameterized queries instead of dynamic SQL construction
• Restrict network access to the application to trusted IP addresses only
• Consider deploying a reverse proxy with SQL injection filtering capabilities in front of the application

# Example WAF rule for ModSecurity to block SQL injection attempts
SecRule ARGS:Search "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:100001,\
    phase:2,\
    deny,\
    status:403,\
    log,\
    msg:'SQL Injection attempt detected in Search parameter',\
    tag:'application-multi',\
    tag:'language-multi',\
    tag:'platform-multi',\
    tag:'attack-sqli',\
    tag:'CVE-2025-7474'"