CVE-2025-7556: Fabian Voting System SQL Injection Flaw

CVE-2025-7556 Overview

CVE-2025-7556 is a SQL injection vulnerability in code-projects Voting System 1.0, a PHP-based open-source web application. The flaw resides in /admin/voters_edit.php, where the ID parameter is passed to a SQL query without proper sanitization. An attacker with low-privilege access can manipulate the ID argument to inject arbitrary SQL statements. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of opportunistic abuse against exposed installations. The vulnerability is tracked under CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component.

Critical Impact
Remote attackers with authenticated low-privilege access can manipulate the ID parameter in voters_edit.php to execute arbitrary SQL queries against the backend database.

Affected Products

code-projects Voting System 1.0
Vendor: Fabian (code-projects.org)
CPE: cpe:2.3:a:fabian:voting_system:1.0

Discovery Timeline

2025-07-14 - CVE-2025-7556 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-7556

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability exists in the administrative interface of the Voting System application, specifically in the voters_edit.php script located under the /admin/ directory. The script accepts an ID parameter via HTTP request and embeds it directly into a SQL query string. Because the input is neither parameterized nor sanitized, an attacker can append SQL syntax to alter the query logic.

The issue is classified under CWE-74 (Injection). The vulnerability requires network access and low-level privileges, consistent with an authenticated administrative endpoint. Successful exploitation can disclose voter records, modify ballot data, or corrupt the integrity of voting results stored in the database. EPSS data places exploitation probability at 0.318%.

Root Cause

The root cause is the direct concatenation of untrusted user input into a SQL statement. The voters_edit.php handler does not use prepared statements, parameter binding, or input type enforcement on the ID value before passing it to the MySQL backend. This allows breakout from the intended query context.

Attack Vector

An authenticated attacker submits a crafted HTTP request to /admin/voters_edit.php with a malicious ID value containing SQL meta-characters. Typical payloads include UNION-based extraction queries, boolean blind injection, or time-based blind injection using SLEEP() functions to enumerate database contents. Because the attack is remote and requires no user interaction beyond authentication, automated scanners and exploit kits can target exposed instances at scale.

The vulnerability is described in the GitHub Issue Tracker and cataloged in VulDB Entry #316254.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-7556

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to /admin/voters_edit.php containing SQL meta-characters such as ', UNION SELECT, --, or OR 1=1 in the ID parameter.
Web server logs showing unusually long ID values or encoded payloads (%27, %20UNION%20).
Database error messages referencing voters table syntax errors in PHP application logs.
Unexpected outbound database queries returning large result sets from the voters table.

Detection Strategies

Deploy web application firewall (WAF) signatures targeting SQL injection patterns against the /admin/voters_edit.php endpoint.
Enable MySQL general query logging and alert on queries containing tautologies or UNION operations originating from the voting application user.
Correlate authentication events for the admin panel with anomalous parameter values in subsequent requests.

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward web server access logs and database query logs to a centralized analytics platform for inspection of injection patterns.
Track baseline request volumes to /admin/voters_edit.php and alert on spikes that may indicate automated exploitation.
Monitor administrative account activity for off-hours access or access from unexpected source addresses.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-7556

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network access to the /admin/ directory using IP allowlisting or VPN-only access until a patched build is available.
Audit the voters database table for unauthorized modifications and back up current data before remediation.
Rotate all administrative credentials for the Voting System application.
Place the application behind a WAF configured to block SQL injection payloads on the ID parameter.

Patch Information

No official vendor patch is listed in the NVD record at the time of publication. Administrators should monitor the Code Projects Resource Hub and the GitHub Issue Tracker for fix availability. As an interim measure, modify voters_edit.php to use parameterized queries via PHP's mysqli_prepare() or PDO with bound parameters, and enforce integer casting on the ID value.

Workarounds

Cast the ID parameter to an integer in source code: $id = (int)$_GET['ID']; before use in SQL queries.
Replace inline SQL concatenation with prepared statements using mysqli or PDO bindings.
Disable the voters_edit.php endpoint if the edit functionality is not actively required.
Apply least-privilege database permissions so the application user cannot read or modify tables outside its operational scope.

bash

# Example hardening: enforce integer type on ID parameter via .htaccess rewrite
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (^|&)ID=([^&]*[^0-9&][^&]*) [NC]
RewriteRule ^admin/voters_edit\.php$ - [F,L]