CVE-2025-7829: Church Donation System SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2025-7829 Overview

A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in code-projects Church Donation System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the /login.php file where the Username parameter is improperly sanitized, allowing attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. This flaw enables remote attackers to bypass authentication, extract sensitive data, or potentially compromise the underlying database.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to bypass authentication mechanisms, access unauthorized data, and potentially gain full control over the application's database containing sensitive donor information.

Affected Products

• Carmelo Church Donation System 1.0
• code-projects Church Donation System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-07-19 - CVE CVE-2025-7829 published to NVD
• 2025-07-29 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-7829

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component) affects the login functionality of the Church Donation System. The vulnerable endpoint at /login.php fails to properly sanitize the Username parameter before incorporating it into SQL queries. This classic injection vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate the underlying database queries by inserting specially crafted SQL statements through the username input field.

The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability means that any attacker who can reach the application's login page can attempt exploitation. No authentication is required to exploit this flaw, and no user interaction is needed beyond submitting a malicious login request. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of widespread exploitation attempts against vulnerable installations.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation and the lack of parameterized queries or prepared statements in the authentication logic. The /login.php file directly concatenates user-supplied input from the Username parameter into SQL queries without proper sanitization or escaping. This allows attackers to break out of the intended query structure and inject arbitrary SQL commands.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring no prior authentication or user interaction. An attacker can craft a malicious HTTP POST request to the /login.php endpoint containing SQL injection payloads in the Username parameter. Common exploitation techniques include:

• Authentication bypass using classic SQL injection payloads such as ' OR '1'='1
• UNION-based injection to extract data from other database tables
• Boolean-based blind injection to enumerate database contents
• Time-based blind injection when direct output is not visible

The vulnerability allows attackers to interact directly with the database, potentially accessing donor records, financial information, and administrative credentials stored in the system.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-7829

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL error messages in application logs or web server error logs
• Login attempts containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, double dashes, or UNION statements
• Abnormal database query patterns or unexpected data access in database audit logs
• Multiple failed login attempts followed by successful authentication from the same source

Detection Strategies

• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in POST parameters
• Monitor HTTP request logs for the /login.php endpoint for suspicious payloads in the Username field
• Implement database activity monitoring to detect anomalous query patterns or unauthorized data access
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common SQL injection attack patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for the Church Donation System application, particularly for authentication events
• Set up alerts for database errors that may indicate SQL injection attempts
• Monitor for unusual outbound data transfers from the database server
• Review access logs regularly for patterns consistent with automated SQL injection tools

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-7829

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the Church Donation System to trusted IP addresses or VPN connections
• Implement a web application firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules
• Consider taking the application offline until a patch is available or manual remediation is applied
• Review database logs for signs of prior exploitation and assess potential data exposure

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been released for this vulnerability at the time of publication. System administrators should monitor the Code Projects Security Resource for updates. Additional technical details are available in the GitHub myCVE Issue 5 disclosure and the VulDB #316933 advisory.

Workarounds

• Manually implement prepared statements or parameterized queries in the /login.php file
• Deploy input validation to reject SQL metacharacters in the Username parameter
• Use a WAF to filter malicious requests before they reach the application
• Implement network segmentation to isolate the application from critical infrastructure
• Apply the principle of least privilege to database accounts used by the application

# Example WAF rule to block common SQL injection patterns (ModSecurity format)
SecRule ARGS:Username "@rx (?i)(\b(union|select|insert|update|delete|drop|truncate|exec|xp_)\b|'|--|#)" \
    "id:1001,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'SQL Injection Attempt Detected in Username Parameter'"