CVE-2025-7131 is a critical SQL Injection vulnerability identified in version 1.0 of the Campcodes Payroll Management System. The vulnerability resides in the /ajax.php endpoint, specifically in the 'save_employee_attendance' action, where the 'employee_id' parameter is improperly sanitized. This allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to inject malicious SQL code directly into the backend database queries. Exploiting this flaw can lead to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion within the payroll system's database. Given that payroll systems handle sensitive employee data, including personal identification and salary information, the compromise could result in significant confidentiality breaches and data integrity issues. The vulnerability requires no authentication or user interaction, making it highly accessible for attackers. Although the CVSS 4.0 score is 6.9 (medium severity), the potential impact on sensitive payroll data and the ease of exploitation elevate the risk profile. No patches or mitigations have been publicly disclosed yet, and while no known exploits are currently active in the wild, the public disclosure of the vulnerability increases the likelihood of exploitation attempts.

For European organizations using Campcodes Payroll Management System 1.0, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk to the confidentiality and integrity of employee payroll data. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized disclosure of personal and financial information, potentially violating GDPR regulations and resulting in legal and financial penalties. Additionally, attackers could manipulate payroll records, causing financial discrepancies and operational disruptions. The remote and unauthenticated nature of the attack vector increases the threat level, as attackers can exploit the vulnerability without insider access. This could also lead to reputational damage and loss of trust among employees and stakeholders. Organizations in Europe, where data protection laws are stringent, must consider the compliance implications alongside the direct security risks.

Immediate mitigation steps include implementing strict input validation and parameterized queries or prepared statements in the 'save_employee_attendance' functionality to prevent SQL injection. Organizations should conduct a thorough code review of the affected endpoint and related database interactions. In the absence of an official patch, deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with custom rules to detect and block malicious SQL injection payloads targeting the 'employee_id' parameter can provide temporary protection. Monitoring logs for unusual database query patterns or repeated failed requests to /ajax.php?action=save_employee_attendance is critical for early detection. Additionally, restricting access to the payroll management system to trusted IP ranges or VPNs can reduce exposure. Organizations should also prepare incident response plans specific to payroll data breaches and ensure regular backups of payroll databases are maintained securely to enable recovery if data integrity is compromised.