CVE-2025-8252: Exam Form Submission SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2025-8252 Overview

A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in code-projects Exam Form Submission version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the /admin/delete_s5.php file where the ID parameter is not properly sanitized before being used in SQL queries. This allows remote attackers to manipulate database queries by injecting malicious SQL statements through the ID parameter, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to bypass authentication, extract sensitive data from the database, modify or delete records, and potentially gain unauthorized access to the underlying system.

Affected Products

• code-projects Exam Form Submission 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-07-28 - CVE-2025-8252 published to NVD
• 2025-07-31 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-8252

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is classified as SQL Injection (CWE-89) with an underlying Injection weakness (CWE-74). The affected file /admin/delete_s5.php accepts an ID parameter that is directly incorporated into database queries without proper input validation or parameterization. This classic SQL injection pattern allows attackers to craft malicious input that alters the intended SQL query logic.

The vulnerability is exploitable over the network without requiring authentication or user interaction, making it accessible to any attacker who can reach the application. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of widespread exploitation. While the immediate impact is limited to partial confidentiality, integrity, and availability breaches within the vulnerable system, successful exploitation could lead to complete database compromise.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper input validation and lack of parameterized queries in the /admin/delete_s5.php file. The application directly concatenates user-supplied input (the ID parameter) into SQL statements without sanitization or the use of prepared statements. This violates secure coding principles for database interactions and creates a direct injection point for malicious SQL commands.

Attack Vector

The attack can be launched remotely over the network. An attacker can submit crafted HTTP requests to the /admin/delete_s5.php endpoint with malicious SQL code injected into the ID parameter. The vulnerable application will process this input and execute the attacker-controlled SQL statements against the backend database.

The vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate the ID parameter in requests to the administrative deletion endpoint. By injecting SQL syntax such as boolean-based blind injection payloads, UNION-based queries, or time-based blind techniques, attackers can extract database contents, bypass authentication mechanisms, or modify critical data. For detailed technical information, refer to the GitHub CVE Issue Discussion.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-8252

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL error messages in application logs from the /admin/delete_s5.php endpoint
• Requests to /admin/delete_s5.php containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, UNION keywords, or comment sequences in the ID parameter
• Database query logs showing unexpected or malformed queries originating from the delete functionality
• Anomalous database access patterns indicating data exfiltration attempts

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect SQL injection patterns in the ID parameter of requests to /admin/delete_s5.php
• Monitor application logs for error messages containing SQL syntax errors or database connection issues
• Deploy database activity monitoring to detect unusual query patterns or unauthorized data access
• Use intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common SQL injection attack patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for all requests to administrative endpoints including /admin/delete_s5.php
• Set up alerts for requests containing common SQL injection payloads such as ' OR '1'='1, UNION SELECT, or --
• Monitor database audit logs for queries that deviate from expected patterns
• Track failed authentication attempts and unusual administrative actions that could indicate post-exploitation activity

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-8252

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict access to the /admin/delete_s5.php endpoint to trusted IP addresses or authenticated administrative users only
• Implement input validation to allow only numeric values for the ID parameter
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall with SQL injection protection rules in front of the application
• Consider temporarily disabling the vulnerable functionality until a patch is available

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been released at the time of this writing. Organizations using code-projects Exam Form Submission 1.0 should monitor the Code Projects Resource for security updates. Additional vulnerability details are available through VulDB #317840.

Workarounds

• Implement prepared statements with parameterized queries in the affected PHP file to prevent SQL injection
• Apply strict input validation on the ID parameter to accept only positive integers
• Deploy network-level access controls to limit access to administrative endpoints
• Consider using a Web Application Firewall as an additional layer of defense until proper code remediation is implemented

# Example: Restrict access to admin directory using .htaccess
# Add to /admin/.htaccess
<Files "delete_s5.php">
    Order Deny,Allow
    Deny from all
    Allow from 192.168.1.0/24
    # Replace with your trusted admin IP range
</Files>