CVE-2025-8986 is a SQL Injection vulnerability identified in version 1.0 of the SourceCodester COVID 19 Testing Management System. The vulnerability exists in the /search-report-result.php file, specifically in the handling of the 'serachdata' parameter. Due to insufficient input validation or sanitization, an attacker can manipulate this parameter to inject malicious SQL code. This flaw allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands on the backend database without requiring authentication or user interaction. The vulnerability has a CVSS 4.0 base score of 6.9, indicating a medium severity level. The attack vector is network-based (AV:N), with low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), and no user interaction needed (UI:N). The impact affects confidentiality, integrity, and availability to a limited extent (VC:L, VI:L, VA:L). The scope remains unchanged (S:N). The exploit has been publicly disclosed but there are no known exploits actively used in the wild at this time. The vulnerability could allow attackers to extract sensitive patient data, modify or delete records, or disrupt the availability of the COVID-19 testing management system, which is critical for healthcare operations and public health monitoring.

For European organizations, particularly healthcare providers and public health authorities using this COVID-19 Testing Management System, the impact could be significant. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive personal health information, violating GDPR and other privacy regulations, resulting in legal and reputational damage. Integrity compromises could undermine the reliability of COVID-19 test results and reporting, affecting patient care and public health decisions. Availability impacts could disrupt testing workflows, delaying diagnosis and containment efforts. Given the critical role of COVID-19 testing systems in managing the pandemic response, any disruption or data breach could have cascading effects on healthcare delivery and public trust. Additionally, attackers could leverage the vulnerability as a foothold for further network intrusion or lateral movement within healthcare IT environments.

Organizations should immediately review and restrict access to the /search-report-result.php endpoint, implementing web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block SQL injection attempts targeting the 'serachdata' parameter. Input validation and parameterized queries or prepared statements must be enforced in the application code to eliminate injection vectors. Since no official patch is currently available, organizations should consider isolating the affected system from public networks or limiting access to trusted IP addresses. Regular monitoring of logs for suspicious query patterns and anomalous database activity is essential. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of all web-facing applications handling sensitive health data to identify similar injection flaws. Preparing incident response plans for potential data breaches related to this vulnerability is also recommended.