CVE-2025-9601 Overview
A SQL Injection vulnerability has been identified in the Admerc Apartment Management System version 1.0. This vulnerability exists in the /setting/employee_salary_setup.php file, where improper handling of the ddlEmpName argument allows attackers to inject malicious SQL queries. The attack can be launched remotely without authentication, potentially enabling unauthorized access to sensitive database information, data manipulation, or complete database compromise.
Critical Impact
Remote attackers can exploit the SQL Injection vulnerability in the employee salary setup functionality to extract, modify, or delete sensitive tenant and employee data stored in the apartment management database.
Affected Products
- Admerc Apartment Management System 1.0
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-08-29 - CVE-2025-9601 published to NVD
- 2025-09-02 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-9601
Vulnerability Analysis
This SQL Injection vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation in the employee salary setup module of the Apartment Management System. The affected endpoint /setting/employee_salary_setup.php accepts user-controlled input through the ddlEmpName parameter without proper sanitization or parameterized queries. When this input is concatenated directly into SQL queries, attackers can manipulate the query structure to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the backend database.
The vulnerability is classified under CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component), indicating that special characters and SQL syntax within user input are not properly escaped before being incorporated into database queries.
Root Cause
The root cause of this vulnerability is the direct concatenation of user-supplied input from the ddlEmpName parameter into SQL queries without proper sanitization, escaping, or the use of prepared statements. The application fails to validate and neutralize special characters that have syntactic meaning in SQL, allowing attackers to break out of the intended query context and inject arbitrary SQL commands.
Attack Vector
This vulnerability is exploitable over the network without requiring authentication. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests to the /setting/employee_salary_setup.php endpoint, manipulating the ddlEmpName parameter with SQL injection payloads. By injecting SQL syntax such as single quotes, UNION statements, or conditional expressions, the attacker can extract data from the database, bypass authentication mechanisms, modify or delete records, or potentially execute administrative operations depending on the database user privileges.
The exploit is publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of opportunistic attacks against unpatched installations. For technical details regarding the vulnerability mechanics, refer to the GitHub CVE Issue Discussion and VulDB #321775.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-9601
Indicators of Compromise
- HTTP requests to /setting/employee_salary_setup.php containing SQL metacharacters (single quotes, double dashes, semicolons, UNION keywords) in the ddlEmpName parameter
- Unusual database query patterns or errors in application logs indicating SQL syntax violations
- Database logs showing unauthorized data access or extraction queries
- Multiple rapid requests to the employee salary setup endpoint from single IP addresses
Detection Strategies
- Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in HTTP parameters targeting the employee salary setup endpoint
- Monitor application and database logs for SQL injection attack signatures and anomalous query patterns
- Implement intrusion detection signatures for known SQL injection payloads in the ddlEmpName parameter
- Enable database query logging to identify suspicious SELECT, UNION, or data extraction queries originating from the web application
Monitoring Recommendations
- Establish baseline traffic patterns for the /setting/employee_salary_setup.php endpoint and alert on deviations
- Configure real-time alerts for database errors or exceptions that may indicate SQL injection attempts
- Monitor for data exfiltration patterns such as large result sets or database dumps initiated through the web application
- Implement network-level monitoring for outbound connections from the database server that may indicate successful compromise
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-9601
Immediate Actions Required
- Restrict access to the /setting/employee_salary_setup.php endpoint through network-level controls or authentication requirements
- Implement Web Application Firewall rules to filter SQL injection payloads in the ddlEmpName parameter
- Disable or remove the affected employee salary setup functionality until a patch is available
- Review database user privileges and restrict the application's database account to minimum required permissions
Patch Information
As of the last NVD update on 2025-09-02, no official vendor patch has been published for this vulnerability. Organizations using Admerc Apartment Management System 1.0 should monitor vendor communications and the IT Source Code website for security updates. Consider implementing the workarounds below until a patch becomes available.
Workarounds
- Implement input validation on the ddlEmpName parameter to allow only alphanumeric characters and reject SQL metacharacters
- Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF with SQL injection filtering capabilities in front of the application
- Modify the vulnerable PHP code to use prepared statements with parameterized queries for database operations
- Restrict network access to the application server to trusted IP ranges only
- Consider deploying the application in an isolated network segment to limit potential lateral movement in case of compromise
For additional technical details and community discussion, see the VulDB CTI entry and VulDB submission.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
