CVE-2025-9694 is a SQL Injection vulnerability identified in version 1.0 of the Campcodes Advanced Online Voting System, specifically within the /admin/login.php file. The vulnerability arises from improper sanitization or validation of the 'Username' parameter, which can be manipulated by an attacker to inject malicious SQL code. This injection flaw allows an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary SQL queries against the backend database without requiring any user interaction or privileges. The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed, although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 6.9 (medium severity), reflecting the network attack vector, low complexity, no authentication or user interaction required, but limited impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The vulnerability could allow attackers to bypass authentication, extract sensitive data, or potentially modify database contents depending on the database permissions. Given the critical role of the affected system—an online voting platform—successful exploitation could undermine election integrity, voter privacy, and trust in the electoral process. The lack of available patches or mitigations at the time of disclosure increases the urgency for organizations to implement compensating controls.

For European organizations, especially those involved in electoral processes, government agencies, or political parties using the Campcodes Advanced Online Voting System, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to administrative functions, manipulation or disclosure of voter data, and potentially the alteration of voting results. This undermines democratic processes and could cause reputational damage, legal liabilities under GDPR due to personal data exposure, and loss of public trust. Even organizations indirectly connected to election infrastructure could face cascading impacts if attackers leverage this vulnerability as a foothold for broader network intrusion. The medium CVSS score does not fully capture the critical societal impact of attacks on election systems, which are high-value targets in Europe given the continent's emphasis on secure, transparent democratic processes.

1. Immediate implementation of input validation and parameterized queries or prepared statements in the /admin/login.php code to prevent SQL injection. 2. Conduct a comprehensive security audit of the entire voting system to identify and remediate similar injection flaws. 3. Deploy Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block SQL injection attempts targeting the login endpoint. 4. Restrict database user privileges to the minimum necessary, preventing unauthorized data modification or extraction even if injection occurs. 5. Monitor logs for unusual login attempts or database errors indicative of injection attempts. 6. If possible, isolate the voting system network segment and enforce strict access controls to limit exposure. 7. Engage with Campcodes for official patches or updates and apply them promptly once available. 8. Educate administrators on the risks and signs of exploitation to enable rapid incident response. 9. Consider multi-factor authentication and additional layers of verification for administrative access to reduce impact of credential compromise.