CVE-2019-25320 in elearning-script
Summary
by MITRE • 02/13/2026
E Learning Script 1.0 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability that allows attackers to access the dashboard without valid credentials by manipulating login parameters. Attackers can exploit the /login.php file by sending a specific payload '=''or' to bypass authentication and gain unauthorized access to the system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/13/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-25320 resides within E Learning Script version 1.0, a web-based educational platform that falls under the category of web application security flaws. This particular weakness represents a critical authentication bypass vulnerability that fundamentally undermines the system's ability to verify user identities. The flaw manifests specifically within the /login.php component of the application, where improper input validation and sanitization create an exploitable condition that allows malicious actors to circumvent the intended authentication mechanism entirely.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate parameter handling within the login process, creating a classic sql injection vector that operates at the authentication layer. When attackers manipulate the login parameters by submitting the payload '=''or'', they exploit the application's failure to properly escape or validate user inputs before processing them in database queries. This particular payload exploits the logical OR operator within sql syntax to create a condition that always evaluates as true, effectively bypassing the authentication checks and granting immediate access to the dashboard interface. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and represents a fundamental flaw in the application's security architecture that allows unauthenticated access to protected resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over the learning management system. Once authenticated, malicious actors can manipulate course content, modify user accounts, access sensitive student data, and potentially use the compromised system as a foothold for further attacks within the network. This authentication bypass creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited repeatedly without requiring valid credentials, making it particularly dangerous for educational institutions that rely on such platforms for managing sensitive academic information and personal data of students and staff members.
Security practitioners should implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability effectively. The primary remediation involves proper input validation and sanitization of all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in authentication flows. Implementing prepared statements or parameterized queries in the database interactions would prevent the sql injection from executing successfully. Additionally, the application should enforce proper session management controls, implement rate limiting on authentication attempts, and deploy web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. Organizations should also consider implementing the principle of least privilege, ensuring that even if authentication is bypassed, the attacker's access remains limited to prevent further escalation. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to the ATT&CK framework's mitigation recommendations for authentication bypass techniques, particularly those related to credential access and privilege escalation. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the system, as this flaw represents a common pattern that frequently appears in legacy web applications lacking proper security controls.