The CloudClassroom PHP Project 1.0 is vulnerable to a time-based blind SQL injection in the 'pass' parameter of its 'registrationform' endpoint. This vulnerability allows an attacker to send specially crafted POST requests that manipulate the SQL query logic, causing the database to delay its response based on injected conditions. Specifically, the exploit uses a conditional sleep function (e.g., sleep(6)) triggered by a boolean expression (if(now()=sysdate(),sleep(6),0)) to infer the presence of the injection point and extract data without direct output. The vulnerability arises from improper sanitization or parameterization of user input in the PHP backend, allowing raw SQL fragments to be executed. The exploit was tested on XAMPP running on Windows 10 and Ubuntu 22.04, indicating cross-platform applicability. The affected software is an open-source PHP project hosted on GitHub, commonly deployed in educational or training environments. No official patches or mitigations have been published yet, and no known exploits are reported in the wild, but the availability of proof-of-concept code lowers the barrier for attackers to develop functional exploits. The vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2025-45542. The attack requires no authentication but does require the attacker to send crafted POST requests to the registration endpoint. The impact includes unauthorized data disclosure through inference, potential data integrity compromise if combined with other vulnerabilities, and possible denial of service through resource exhaustion during exploitation attempts.

For European organizations, especially educational institutions and training providers using the CloudClassroom PHP Project or similar PHP-based learning management systems, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. Attackers could extract sensitive user data such as personal details, credentials, or course information by exploiting the SQL injection. This could lead to privacy violations under GDPR, reputational damage, and potential regulatory penalties. Additionally, the injection could be leveraged to escalate attacks within the network, compromising backend databases or pivoting to other systems. The time-based blind nature of the injection means data exfiltration may be slow but stealthy, complicating detection. Organizations relying on shared or public-facing web servers are particularly vulnerable. Given the open-source nature of the software, many smaller or less-resourced European educational entities might deploy it without rigorous security hardening, increasing exposure. The lack of patches means immediate mitigation is critical to prevent exploitation. The attack does not require user interaction beyond sending HTTP requests, making automated scanning and exploitation feasible by attackers.

1. Immediate code review and remediation: Developers should implement parameterized queries or prepared statements for all database interactions, especially those handling user input like the 'pass' parameter. 2. Input validation and sanitization: Enforce strict validation on all input fields to reject or sanitize malicious payloads before database queries. 3. Web Application Firewall (WAF): Deploy and configure a WAF with rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns, including time-based blind injection attempts. 4. Monitoring and logging: Enable detailed logging of HTTP requests and database query performance to detect unusual delays or repeated suspicious POST requests to the registration endpoint. 5. Access controls: Restrict access to the registration endpoint where possible, such as by IP whitelisting or CAPTCHA implementation to reduce automated abuse. 6. Patch management: Monitor the official GitHub repository for updates or patches and apply them promptly once available. 7. Network segmentation: Isolate database servers from direct internet access and limit database user permissions to the minimum required. 8. Security awareness: Educate administrators and developers about the risks of SQL injection and secure coding practices. 9. Conduct penetration testing: Regularly test the application with automated and manual tools to identify injection points and verify mitigations. 10. Consider alternative software: If timely patching is not feasible, evaluate replacing CloudClassroom with more secure, actively maintained learning management systems.