CVE-2018-25424 in Gate Pass Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 05/30/2026
Gate Pass Management System 2.1 contains an SQL injection vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to bypass authentication by injecting SQL code through the login and password parameters. Attackers can submit crafted POST requests to login-exec.php with SQL injection payloads in form parameters to authenticate without valid credentials and gain access to the application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2026
The Gate Pass Management System version 2.1 presents a critical security vulnerability classified as SQL injection that fundamentally compromises the application's authentication mechanism. This vulnerability exists due to insufficient input validation and sanitization within the login process, specifically in how the system handles user credentials submitted through the login-exec.php endpoint. The flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to manipulate the underlying database queries by injecting malicious SQL code through the standard login form parameters, particularly the username and password fields. This vulnerability directly violates security principle of input validation and demonstrates a classic lack of proper parameterized query implementation, making it susceptible to exploitation by attackers who can craft malicious payloads to manipulate the database behavior.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a well-established pattern where attackers submit crafted POST requests to the login-exec.php endpoint with specially constructed SQL injection payloads in the form parameters. When the application processes these inputs without proper sanitization, the injected SQL code gets executed within the database context, potentially allowing attackers to bypass authentication entirely. The vulnerability enables unauthorized access to the application's functionality, including but not limited to viewing, modifying, or deleting gate pass records, user accounts, and other sensitive data stored within the system. This represents a severe compromise of the system's integrity and confidentiality, as attackers can gain persistent access to privileged information without requiring legitimate credentials. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires no prior authentication and can be executed through standard web application requests.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential data breaches, privilege escalation, and system compromise. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can manipulate the database to extract sensitive information, modify access controls, or even delete critical records. The vulnerability affects the system's authentication and authorization mechanisms, potentially allowing attackers to impersonate legitimate users or gain administrative privileges. This compromise undermines the fundamental security posture of the gate pass management system, which is designed to control physical access to facilities and maintain security records. The vulnerability also creates potential for further attacks through lateral movement within the network if the system has connections to other applications or databases. The impact is particularly severe in environments where physical security is paramount and unauthorized access could lead to significant operational, financial, or safety consequences.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. The primary solution involves implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries throughout the application code, particularly in the login and authentication modules. The system should employ prepared statements or parameterized queries to ensure that user inputs are properly escaped and treated as data rather than executable code. Additionally, input sanitization mechanisms should be implemented to filter out potentially malicious SQL characters and patterns. Security headers should be configured to prevent common attack patterns, and the application should implement proper error handling that does not reveal database structure information to users. Regular security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities. The system should also implement rate limiting and account lockout mechanisms to prevent brute force attacks against the login functionality. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication to add additional layers of security beyond simple username and password authentication, which aligns with security best practices outlined in industry standards such as those referenced in the CWE database under CWE-89 for SQL injection vulnerabilities and ATT&CK techniques related to credential access and privilege escalation.