CVE-2025-12252 identifies a SQL injection vulnerability in the Online Event Judging System version 1.0 developed by code-projects. The vulnerability resides in an unknown function within the /ajax/action.php file, specifically through the 'content' parameter. An attacker can remotely manipulate this parameter to inject malicious SQL statements into the backend database queries. This injection flaw allows unauthorized access to sensitive data, unauthorized modification or deletion of records, and potentially full compromise of the database system. The vulnerability requires no authentication or user interaction, making it accessible to any remote attacker with network access to the affected system. The CVSS 4.0 score of 5.3 (medium severity) reflects the moderate impact and ease of exploitation, with partial impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No patches have been published yet, and while no confirmed exploits are detected in the wild, proof-of-concept code is publicly available, increasing the risk of exploitation. The vulnerability highlights insufficient input validation and lack of parameterized queries or prepared statements in the affected codebase. Organizations relying on this system for event judging or scoring should urgently assess their exposure and implement mitigations to prevent exploitation.

The SQL injection vulnerability in the Online Event Judging System can lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive event data, manipulation of judging results, or denial of service through database corruption or deletion. For European organizations, this could undermine the integrity and fairness of events, damage reputations, and result in regulatory penalties if personal or sensitive data is exposed. The remote, unauthenticated nature of the exploit increases the likelihood of attacks, especially in environments where the system is internet-facing or poorly segmented. Disruption of event operations could have financial and operational consequences, particularly for organizations that rely heavily on automated judging systems. Additionally, attackers could leverage the vulnerability as a foothold to pivot into broader internal networks, escalating the impact beyond the initial system. The lack of available patches means organizations must rely on interim mitigations, increasing operational risk until a fix is deployed.

1. Conduct immediate code review focusing on the /ajax/action.php file to identify and fix the SQL injection flaw by implementing parameterized queries or prepared statements for all database interactions involving user input. 2. Apply strict input validation and sanitization on the 'content' parameter and any other user-supplied data to prevent injection of malicious SQL code. 3. Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with custom rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns targeting the vulnerable endpoint. 4. Restrict network access to the Online Event Judging System, limiting exposure to trusted internal networks or VPNs to reduce remote attack surface. 5. Monitor database logs and application logs for unusual query patterns or errors indicative of injection attempts. 6. Develop and test patches in a staging environment before production deployment to ensure stability and security. 7. Educate development teams on secure coding practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future releases. 8. If possible, isolate the judging system from critical infrastructure to contain potential breaches. 9. Plan for incident response readiness in case exploitation is detected.