CVE-2022-40927 is a high-severity SQL Injection vulnerability identified in the Online Leave Management System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the 'delete_designation' function accessed via the URL path /leave_system/classes/Master.php?f=delete_designation. SQL Injection (CWE-89) occurs when untrusted user input is improperly sanitized and directly included in SQL queries, allowing an attacker to manipulate the database query structure. In this case, the vulnerability allows an attacker with high privileges (as indicated by the CVSS vector requiring PR:H) to execute arbitrary SQL commands remotely over the network (AV:N) without user interaction (UI:N). The impact includes full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the backend database, potentially enabling data exfiltration, unauthorized data modification, or deletion of critical records. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely with low attack complexity (AC:L), meaning no special conditions are required beyond having high privileges. Although no vendor or product details beyond the generic name are provided, the affected system is an online leave management application, which typically stores sensitive employee and organizational data. No patches or known exploits in the wild have been reported as of the publication date (September 26, 2022).

For European organizations using the affected Online Leave Management System v1.0, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive employee information, including leave records, personal data, and potentially payroll-related information. This compromises confidentiality and may violate GDPR regulations, leading to legal and financial penalties. Integrity of HR data could be compromised, causing operational disruptions and loss of trust. Availability impacts could arise if attackers delete or corrupt critical data, disrupting HR processes. Given the high privileges required, insider threats or compromised administrative accounts are the most likely attack vectors. The lack of patches increases the urgency for mitigation. Organizations in Europe must consider the reputational damage and compliance risks associated with such a breach, especially in sectors with strict data protection requirements such as finance, healthcare, and public administration.

1. Immediate mitigation should include restricting access to the vulnerable endpoint to trusted administrators only, ideally through network segmentation and firewall rules. 2. Implement strong authentication and session management controls to prevent privilege escalation or account compromise. 3. Conduct a thorough code review and refactor the 'delete_designation' function to use parameterized queries or prepared statements to eliminate SQL Injection risks. 4. If source code modification is not immediately possible, deploy Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules specifically designed to detect and block SQL Injection attempts targeting this endpoint. 5. Monitor logs for unusual database query patterns or failed attempts to access the vulnerable function. 6. Plan for a full patch deployment as soon as a vendor fix becomes available. 7. Educate administrators about the risks of using high-privilege accounts for routine tasks to reduce the attack surface. 8. Regularly back up HR data securely to enable recovery in case of data corruption or deletion.