CVE-2025-9022: Online Bank Management System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2025-9022 Overview

A SQL Injection vulnerability has been identified in SourceCodester Online Bank Management System version 1.0. This security flaw affects the processing of the file /bank/statements.php, where improper handling of the email parameter allows attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication, potentially compromising database integrity and exposing sensitive banking information.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can manipulate the email parameter to execute arbitrary SQL commands, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, data manipulation, or complete database compromise in a financial application context.

Affected Products

• SourceCodester Online Bank Management System version 1.0
• Oretnom23 Online Bank Management System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-08-15 - CVE-2025-9022 published to NVD
• 2025-08-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-9022

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component) exists in the Online Bank Management System's statement retrieval functionality. The vulnerable endpoint at /bank/statements.php accepts user-supplied input through the email parameter without adequate sanitization or parameterized query implementation.

When a user requests bank statements, the application directly incorporates the email parameter value into database queries. This lack of input validation allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that break out of the intended query structure and execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database.

The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability means that any remote attacker who can reach the application can attempt exploitation without requiring prior authentication or user interaction. Given the financial nature of the application, successful exploitation could expose sensitive customer banking data, transaction histories, and account information.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation and the absence of parameterized queries (prepared statements) in the /bank/statements.php file. The application directly concatenates user-supplied input from the email parameter into SQL queries, allowing specially crafted input to modify the query logic.

This represents a classic injection vulnerability pattern where user input is trusted and incorporated into backend operations without proper sanitization, escaping, or the use of safe database APIs.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, allowing remote exploitation without authentication. An attacker can manipulate the email parameter in HTTP requests to /bank/statements.php to inject SQL syntax.

The injection point allows attackers to potentially:

• Extract sensitive data from the database through UNION-based or error-based injection techniques
• Bypass authentication mechanisms
• Modify or delete database records
• In some configurations, execute operating system commands through database functions

Since no proof-of-concept code has been verified for this vulnerability, the technical exploitation details should be referenced from the VulDB CTI Report #320087 for additional technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-9022

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed requests to /bank/statements.php containing SQL syntax characters such as single quotes, double dashes, semicolons, or UNION keywords in the email parameter
• Database error messages appearing in application logs or responses indicating query failures
• Unexpected database queries or data access patterns in database audit logs
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unauthorized access to banking records

Detection Strategies

• Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in the email parameter
• Monitor HTTP request logs for suspicious payloads targeting /bank/statements.php
• Enable database query logging and alert on anomalous query patterns or syntax errors
• Deploy runtime application self-protection (RASP) solutions to detect injection attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure alerting for failed SQL queries or database errors originating from the statements functionality
• Monitor for bulk data access or extraction attempts from account-related database tables
• Implement network traffic analysis to detect data exfiltration attempts
• Review access logs for repeated requests to the vulnerable endpoint from single IP addresses

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-9022

Immediate Actions Required

• Remove or disable the Online Bank Management System from production environments until a patch is available
• Implement a web application firewall (WAF) with SQL injection detection rules to filter malicious requests
• Restrict network access to the application using IP allowlisting where possible
• Review database logs for signs of prior exploitation and assess potential data exposure

Patch Information

No official patch from the vendor (oretnom23/SourceCodester) has been released for this vulnerability at the time of publication. Organizations should monitor SourceCodester for security updates. Additional vulnerability details are available through the VulDB #320087 entry.

Given the absence of an official patch, implementing workarounds and compensating controls is critical to reduce risk exposure.

Workarounds

• Modify the source code to implement prepared statements or parameterized queries for all database interactions involving user input
• Add input validation to the email parameter to ensure it matches expected email format patterns before processing
• Implement output encoding and escaping for all user-supplied data
• Deploy the application behind a reverse proxy with SQL injection filtering capabilities
• Consider replacing the vulnerable application with a security-hardened alternative

# Configuration example for Apache ModSecurity WAF rule
# Add to modsecurity.conf to help block SQL injection attempts
SecRule ARGS:email "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:1001,\
    phase:2,\
    block,\
    msg:'SQL Injection attempt detected in email parameter',\
    logdata:'Matched Data: %{MATCHED_VAR}',\
    severity:'CRITICAL',\
    tag:'application-multi',\
    tag:'language-multi',\
    tag:'platform-multi',\
    tag:'attack-sqli'"