CVE-2025-8988 is a SQL Injection vulnerability identified in SourceCodester COVID 19 Testing Management System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the /bwdates-report-result.php file, specifically through the manipulation of the 'fromdate' parameter. This parameter is not properly sanitized, allowing an attacker to inject malicious SQL code. Since the vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication or user interaction, an attacker can directly send crafted requests to the vulnerable endpoint to execute arbitrary SQL commands on the backend database. The CVSS 4.0 score of 6.9 (medium severity) reflects the vulnerability's potential to impact confidentiality, integrity, and availability, although with limited scope and no privilege or user interaction required. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized data access, data modification, or disruption of the COVID 19 Testing Management System's functionality. The vulnerability disclosure is public, but no known exploits in the wild have been reported yet. The lack of available patches or mitigation guidance from the vendor increases the urgency for organizations using this system to implement compensating controls. Given that this system manages sensitive health-related data, the risk of data leakage or manipulation could have serious consequences for patient privacy and public health operations.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability could be significant, especially for healthcare providers, laboratories, and public health authorities relying on the SourceCodester COVID 19 Testing Management System. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive personal health information, violating GDPR and other data protection regulations, potentially resulting in legal penalties and reputational damage. Data integrity attacks could disrupt COVID-19 testing result reporting, undermining public health responses and trust. Availability impacts could delay testing operations, affecting pandemic management efforts. Since the system is likely integrated into broader healthcare IT infrastructure, successful exploitation might serve as a pivot point for further attacks. The medium CVSS score suggests moderate risk, but the critical nature of the data handled elevates the practical impact. The absence of authentication or user interaction requirements makes the system more vulnerable to automated scanning and exploitation attempts, increasing the threat surface for European healthcare entities.

Immediate mitigation should include implementing web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns targeting the 'fromdate' parameter in /bwdates-report-result.php. Organizations should conduct thorough input validation and sanitization on all user-supplied parameters, especially date inputs, to prevent injection attacks. If possible, restrict access to the vulnerable endpoint by IP whitelisting or network segmentation to limit exposure. Monitoring and logging of web requests should be enhanced to detect anomalous activity indicative of exploitation attempts. Since no official patch is currently available, organizations should consider deploying virtual patching via WAF or reverse proxy solutions. Additionally, conducting a comprehensive security review of the entire COVID 19 Testing Management System is recommended to identify and remediate other potential vulnerabilities. Backup and recovery procedures should be verified to ensure rapid restoration in case of data corruption or loss. Finally, organizations should prepare incident response plans specifically addressing potential exploitation scenarios of this vulnerability.