CVE-2025-28972 is a high-severity SQL Injection vulnerability affecting the WP Employee Attendance System developed by Suhas Surse. This vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands, specifically enabling Blind SQL Injection attacks. Blind SQL Injection occurs when an attacker can send malicious SQL queries to the backend database but does not receive direct feedback from the database responses, instead inferring data through indirect means such as response timing or behavior changes. The affected product versions include all versions up to 3.5, with no specific lower bound version identified. The vulnerability allows an attacker with high privileges (PR:H) to remotely exploit the system over the network (AV:N) without requiring user interaction (UI:N). The CVSS 3.1 vector indicates the attack complexity is low (AC:L), and the scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. The impact on confidentiality is high (C:H), while integrity is not affected (I:N), and availability impact is low (A:L). This suggests that an attacker can extract sensitive data from the database but cannot modify data or cause significant denial of service. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-89, which corresponds to SQL Injection, a well-known and critical web application security flaw. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the WP Employee Attendance System, which is used to track employee attendance, implying that sensitive employee data such as attendance records, personal identifiers, and potentially authentication credentials could be exposed if exploited.

For European organizations using the WP Employee Attendance System, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the confidentiality of employee data. Exposure of attendance records and personal information could lead to privacy violations under GDPR, resulting in legal and financial penalties. Additionally, data leakage could facilitate further targeted attacks such as social engineering or credential stuffing. The changed scope of the vulnerability means that attackers might leverage this flaw to access other connected systems or databases, increasing the risk of broader compromise. Although integrity and availability impacts are limited, the confidentiality breach alone is critical given the sensitivity of HR-related data. Organizations in sectors with strict compliance requirements (e.g., finance, healthcare, public sector) are particularly vulnerable to reputational damage and regulatory scrutiny. The lack of known exploits in the wild provides a window for mitigation, but the ease of exploitation (low complexity, no user interaction) means attackers could develop exploits rapidly once the vulnerability details are public.

1. Immediate mitigation should focus on restricting access to the WP Employee Attendance System to trusted internal networks only, using network segmentation and firewall rules to limit exposure to the internet. 2. Implement strict role-based access controls (RBAC) to ensure that only authorized personnel with the minimum necessary privileges can interact with the system, reducing the risk posed by the high privilege requirement for exploitation. 3. Monitor application logs and database query logs for unusual or suspicious activity patterns indicative of SQL Injection attempts, such as anomalous query structures or timing discrepancies. 4. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules tailored to detect and block SQL Injection payloads targeting the specific query patterns of the WP Employee Attendance System. 5. Since no official patches are currently available, consider applying virtual patching techniques via WAF or input validation layers to sanitize inputs rigorously before they reach the database. 6. Plan for an immediate update or patch deployment once the vendor releases a fix; meanwhile, conduct a thorough security review of all input handling in the application. 7. Conduct employee training to raise awareness about the risks of SQL Injection and encourage reporting of any system anomalies. 8. Regularly back up attendance data securely to enable recovery in case of data corruption or loss.