CVE-2025-4112 is a SQL Injection vulnerability identified in version 3.20 of the PHPGurukul Student Record System, specifically within the /add-course.php file. The vulnerability arises from improper sanitization or validation of the 'course-short' parameter, which allows an attacker to inject malicious SQL code remotely without requiring authentication or user interaction. This flaw enables an attacker to manipulate backend database queries, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, data modification, or even deletion. The vulnerability has a CVSS 4.0 base score of 6.9, categorized as medium severity, reflecting its network attack vector, low attack complexity, and no privileges or user interaction required. The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is rated as low individually, but collectively they pose a moderate risk. Although no public exploits have been confirmed in the wild, the disclosure of the vulnerability increases the risk of exploitation. The affected product is a student record management system, which typically stores sensitive educational data such as student personal information, grades, and course details. Exploitation could lead to data breaches, unauthorized data manipulation, and disruption of academic operations. The vulnerability does not require authentication, making it accessible to remote attackers, which increases its threat potential. However, the lack of a known exploit and the medium severity rating suggest that exploitation may require some technical skill or specific conditions. The vulnerability is critical in nature due to the possibility of SQL injection but is rated medium severity due to limited impact scope and the nature of the affected data and system.

For European organizations, particularly educational institutions using PHPGurukul Student Record System 3.20, this vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized access to sensitive student data, including personal identifiers, academic records, and course information. A successful SQL injection attack could compromise data confidentiality, allowing attackers to exfiltrate sensitive information. Integrity could be impacted through unauthorized modification or deletion of student records, potentially disrupting academic processes and causing reputational damage. Availability impact is possible if attackers execute destructive queries or cause database corruption, leading to service outages. Given the critical role of educational data in compliance with GDPR, any data breach could result in regulatory penalties and loss of trust. The remote, unauthenticated nature of the attack vector increases the risk, especially for institutions lacking robust perimeter defenses or input validation controls. The medium CVSS score suggests moderate risk, but the potential for data breach and operational disruption in the education sector elevates the concern. Additionally, the public disclosure of the vulnerability increases the likelihood of targeted attacks against vulnerable European institutions.

1. Immediate application of patches or updates from PHPGurukul once available is essential. In the absence of official patches, organizations should implement input validation and sanitization on the 'course-short' parameter to prevent injection of malicious SQL code. 2. Employ parameterized queries or prepared statements in the /add-course.php code to eliminate direct concatenation of user inputs into SQL commands. 3. Implement Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns targeting the vulnerable parameter. 4. Conduct thorough code reviews and security testing (including automated SQL injection scanning) on all input handling components of the Student Record System. 5. Restrict database user privileges to the minimum necessary, limiting the potential damage of any successful injection. 6. Monitor logs for unusual database query patterns or errors indicative of injection attempts. 7. Educate IT staff and administrators about the vulnerability and signs of exploitation to enable rapid response. 8. Consider network segmentation to isolate the Student Record System from broader organizational networks, reducing lateral movement risk.