CVE-2025-9924: Travel Management System SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2025-9924 Overview

A SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in projectworlds Travel Management System version 1.0. This vulnerability affects the /enquiry.php file where improper handling of the t2 parameter allows attackers to inject malicious SQL statements. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable and a public exploit has been disclosed, increasing the risk of active exploitation.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to manipulate database queries, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, data modification, or complete database compromise.

Affected Products

• projectworlds Travel Management System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-09-03 - CVE-2025-9924 published to NVD
• 2025-09-08 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-9924

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability exists in the /enquiry.php endpoint of the Travel Management System. The application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input passed through the t2 parameter before incorporating it into SQL queries. This lack of input validation allows attackers to inject arbitrary SQL commands that are executed by the backend database server.

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component), indicating that the application does not adequately filter or escape special characters that have syntactic meaning in SQL.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation and the absence of parameterized queries or prepared statements in the application code. When user input from the t2 parameter is directly concatenated into SQL query strings without proper sanitization, it creates an injection point that attackers can leverage to modify the intended query logic.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests to the /enquiry.php endpoint with specially crafted values in the t2 parameter. The injected SQL payload is then processed by the database server, potentially allowing:

• Extraction of sensitive data from the database
• Modification or deletion of database records
• Bypass of authentication mechanisms
• In some configurations, execution of operating system commands

The vulnerability can be exploited by sending a crafted HTTP request to the vulnerable endpoint with SQL injection payloads in the t2 parameter. Technical details and proof-of-concept information are available through the GitHub Issue Report and VulDB entry.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-9924

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL error messages in application logs from /enquiry.php requests
• HTTP requests to /enquiry.php containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, OR 1=1, or comment sequences (--, /*)
• Database query logs showing unexpected queries or syntax errors
• Anomalous data access patterns or unauthorized database operations

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in the t2 parameter
• Monitor access logs for requests to /enquiry.php with suspicious query string patterns
• Deploy database activity monitoring to identify anomalous SQL query execution
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) with SQL injection detection signatures

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for all requests to /enquiry.php and related PHP files
• Implement real-time alerting for database query failures and SQL syntax errors
• Monitor for unusual database query patterns including UNION-based queries or time-based blind injection attempts
• Review web server access logs regularly for reconnaissance and exploitation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-9924

Immediate Actions Required

• Disable or restrict access to /enquiry.php until a patch is available
• Implement input validation to filter SQL special characters from the t2 parameter
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall with SQL injection protection rules
• Consider taking the application offline if it contains sensitive data and cannot be adequately protected

Patch Information

As of the last update, no official vendor patch has been released for this vulnerability. Organizations using projectworlds Travel Management System should monitor the vendor's communications for security updates. Additional technical information can be found in the VulDB CTI entry and the original GitHub Issue Report.

Workarounds

• Implement parameterized queries or prepared statements if source code modification is possible
• Use a reverse proxy or WAF to filter malicious requests before they reach the application
• Restrict network access to the application to trusted IP addresses only
• Apply the principle of least privilege to database accounts used by the application to limit potential damage from successful exploitation

# Example WAF rule to block SQL injection attempts on the vulnerable parameter
# ModSecurity rule example
SecRule ARGS:t2 "@detectSQLi" "id:100001,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'SQL Injection attempt blocked in t2 parameter'"