CVE-2025-6612 is a critical SQL Injection vulnerability identified in version 1.0 of the code-projects Inventory Management System. The vulnerability arises from improper sanitization of the 'categoriesId' parameter in the /php_action/removeCategories.php script. An attacker can remotely manipulate this parameter to inject arbitrary SQL commands into the backend database query. This injection flaw allows unauthorized access to the database, potentially enabling attackers to read, modify, or delete sensitive inventory data. The vulnerability does not require authentication or user interaction, making it exploitable over the network without any prior access. Although the CVSS 4.0 score rates this vulnerability as medium (6.9), the presence of remote, unauthenticated exploitation combined with the ability to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system indicates a significant risk. The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed, increasing the likelihood of exploitation, although no known exploits in the wild have been reported yet. The lack of available patches or mitigation from the vendor further exacerbates the risk. Given that inventory management systems often contain critical business data and may integrate with other enterprise systems, exploitation could lead to data breaches, operational disruption, and financial losses.

For European organizations using the code-projects Inventory Management System 1.0, this vulnerability poses a substantial threat. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive inventory and business data, manipulation or deletion of records, and disruption of inventory operations. This can affect supply chain management, financial reporting, and customer order fulfillment. Organizations in sectors such as manufacturing, retail, and logistics, which rely heavily on inventory management systems, may experience operational downtime and reputational damage. Additionally, compromised systems could be leveraged as a foothold for further network intrusion or lateral movement within the corporate environment. Given the remote and unauthenticated nature of the exploit, attackers can easily target exposed systems, increasing the risk of widespread impact across European enterprises that have not applied mitigations or do not have compensating controls in place.

1. Immediate mitigation should focus on restricting external access to the vulnerable /php_action/removeCategories.php endpoint through network segmentation and firewall rules, limiting exposure to trusted internal networks only. 2. Implement web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns targeting the 'categoriesId' parameter. 3. Conduct thorough input validation and sanitization on all user-supplied parameters, especially 'categoriesId', using parameterized queries or prepared statements to prevent injection. 4. Since no official patch is currently available, organizations should consider deploying virtual patching via WAFs or intrusion prevention systems (IPS) to mitigate risk temporarily. 5. Perform comprehensive security assessments and code reviews of the Inventory Management System to identify and remediate similar injection flaws. 6. Monitor logs for suspicious database query patterns or repeated access attempts to the vulnerable endpoint. 7. Develop an incident response plan to quickly address potential exploitation, including database backups and recovery procedures. 8. Engage with the vendor or community to obtain updates or patches as they become available and plan for timely deployment.