CVE Alert: CVE-2025-9679 – itsourcecode – Student Information System

Risk verdict

High risk: a publicly disclosed PoC enables remote SQL injection without authentication, increasing the chance of discovery and opportunistic abuse.

Why this matters

Educational organisations rely on this type of SIS to manage sensitive student data; SQL injection can lead to data leakage or tampering, potentially affecting integrity and compliance. The public disclosure raises the likelihood of automated tooling targeting the flaw, even if impact appears limited in the CVSS metrics.

Most likely attack path

An attacker can target a remote, unauthenticated user to craft the ID parameter in course_edit1.php, triggering SQLi without user interaction. The vulnerability sits within the database layer with scope not expanding beyond the application, so the immediate risk is data exposure or modification rather than full system compromise. Lateral movement is unlikely without additional weaknesses.

Who is most exposed

Publicly accessible SIS deployments at schools or universities, often on common web stacks with limited hardening and budget for secure coding practices.

Detection ideas

• Web logs show repetitive requests to course_edit1.php with abnormal ID payloads
• Increased SQL error messages or database error patterns in responses
• Unusual data access after specific requests (e.g., unexpected row retrieval/modification)
• WAF or IDS alerts for SQLi signatures targeting the parameter
• Anomalous authentication or database activity tied to the web app

Mitigation and prioritisation

• Apply vendor patch or upgrade to fixed version; test in staging first
• Implement input validation and parameterised queries; remove direct ID interpolation
• Run with the database user having least privileges; revoke unnecessary write rights
• Enable strict error handling and suppress verbose DB errors in responses
• Deploy web application firewall rules targeting SQLi patterns; monitor and alert
• Change-management: back up data, schedule patching windows, validate post-patch activity
• If KEV true or EPSS ≥ 0.5, treat as priority 1