CVE Alert: CVE-2025-11480 – SourceCodester – Simple E-Commerce Bookstore

Risk verdict

High risk: remote, unauthenticated SQL injection with publicly available exploit on the registration page; urgent action recommended.

Why this matters

An attacker can read or modify data from the database without logging in, and the exploit is publicly available and automatable. This could lead to customer data exposure, credential stuffing opportunities, or data integrity issues affecting orders and user accounts.

Most likely attack path

An attacker sends a crafted register_username payload to the vulnerable register.php endpoint over the public network. With no authentication required and no user interaction needed, the SQLi can be leveraged to enumerate or exfiltrate data and potentially tamper records, all within the component’s scope.

Who is most exposed

Public-facing SourceCodester Simple E-Commerce Bookstore installations are the primary risk, especially on shared/low‑segmented hosting where registrations are exposed to the internet.

Detection ideas

• Logs show atypical register.php requests with SQL-like payloads in register_username.
• Database errors or information_schema queries appearing in web/app logs.
• IDS/WAF alerts for SQLi signatures (UNION SELECT, tautologies, sleep()) targeting /register.php.
• Sudden spikes in registration attempts or data access patterns from unusual IPs.
• Unusual increases in DB query latency or failed authentication attempts tied to registration.

Mitigation and prioritisation

• Patch to a fixed version or apply vendor remediation immediately; if KEV true or EPSS ≥ 0.5, treat as priority 1.
• Implement parameterised queries and input validation; migrate to prepared statements.
• Temporarily disable or restrict the registration function until patched; implement a robust WAF rule set.
• Enforce least-privilege DB access for the web app user; monitor for anomalous data reads/writes.
• Plan and execute a change management patch window with validation and post-patch monitoring.