Overview
CVE-2025-13583 identifies a high-severity SQL injection vulnerability present in version 1.0 of code-projects Question Paper Generator. This vulnerability allows a remote attacker to potentially execute arbitrary SQL commands by manipulating the ‘Fname’ parameter within the /signupscript.php file. This exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of active exploitation.
Technical Details
The vulnerability resides within the /signupscript.php file, specifically within the handling of POST parameters. The application fails to properly sanitize or validate user-supplied input passed via the ‘Fname’ parameter. This lack of input validation allows an attacker to inject malicious SQL code into the query, potentially leading to:
- Data Breaches: Unauthorized access to sensitive data stored in the database.
- Data Manipulation: Modification or deletion of existing data.
- Privilege Escalation: Gaining elevated privileges within the application or the underlying system.
- Denial of Service (DoS): Disrupting the normal operation of the application.
The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication.
CVSS Analysis
- CVSS Score: 7.3 (HIGH)
A CVSS score of 7.3 indicates a high-severity vulnerability. The high score is primarily driven by the ease of exploitation (remote exploitation), the potential for significant impact (data breach, manipulation), and the availability of a public exploit. While the exploit complexity isn’t necessarily low, its public availability lowers the bar for exploitation considerably.
Possible Impact
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability can have severe consequences, including:
- Compromised User Data: Exposure of user credentials, personal information, and other sensitive data.
- Reputational Damage: Loss of trust and confidence in the application and the organization responsible for it.
- Financial Losses: Costs associated with incident response, data breach notifications, and potential legal liabilities.
- System Compromise: Potentially gaining control over the server hosting the application.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
To mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2025-13583, the following steps should be taken immediately:
- Apply the Patch (If Available): Check the code-projects.org website for an official patch or update for Question Paper Generator 1.0. Applying the patch is the most effective way to remediate the vulnerability.
- Input Validation and Sanitization: Implement robust input validation and sanitization techniques in the
/signupscript.phpfile, specifically for the ‘Fname’ parameter. Use parameterized queries or prepared statements to prevent SQL injection attacks. - Web Application Firewall (WAF): Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to filter malicious traffic and block potential SQL injection attempts. Configure the WAF with rules to detect and prevent SQL injection attacks.
- Least Privilege Principle: Ensure that the database user account used by the application has only the minimum necessary privileges to perform its functions.
- Regular Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.
- Consider alternative software: If maintaining the vulnerable software is too difficult, consider migrating to a more actively maintained and secure alternative.
