CVE-2023-41531 in Hospital Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 08/07/2025
Hospital Management System v4 was discovered to contain multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities in func3.php via the username1 and password2 parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/07/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-41531 represents a critical security flaw within Hospital Management System version 4, specifically affecting the func3.php component. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization practices that allow malicious actors to inject arbitrary SQL commands into the application's database layer. The vulnerability manifests through two primary parameters named username1 and password2, which are processed without proper security controls, creating an exploitable attack surface that could compromise the entire database infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which categorizes SQL injection flaws as weaknesses in software that permits attackers to manipulate database queries through untrusted input. When the system processes the username1 and password2 parameters, it fails to employ prepared statements or proper parameterized queries, instead concatenating user-supplied values directly into SQL command strings. This design flaw enables attackers to craft malicious input that alters the intended query execution flow, potentially allowing unauthorized database access, data exfiltration, or even complete database compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data theft, particularly within healthcare environments where patient confidentiality and system integrity are paramount. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could gain access to sensitive patient records, medical histories, treatment plans, and personal identification information, potentially leading to identity theft, insurance fraud, or blackmail operations. The implications are especially severe given that healthcare systems often contain highly sensitive data that must comply with regulations such as HIPAA, making unauthorized access a serious compliance violation. Additionally, the compromise of authentication mechanisms could allow attackers to escalate privileges and gain administrative access to the entire hospital management system.
The attack surface for this vulnerability is particularly concerning as it targets the authentication component of the system, potentially enabling attackers to bypass legitimate authentication processes entirely. This could lead to unauthorized access to critical hospital operations, including patient scheduling, medication management, and billing systems. The exploitation typically involves crafting specially formatted input strings that terminate the original SQL query and inject malicious commands, potentially allowing attackers to perform data manipulation, deletion, or extraction operations. This vulnerability also presents a risk for lateral movement within hospital networks, as compromised authentication credentials could provide access to connected systems and databases.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-41531 should prioritize immediate implementation of parameterized queries and prepared statements to prevent SQL injection attacks. System administrators must ensure that all user inputs are properly validated and sanitized before processing, implementing input whitelisting techniques to restrict accepted character sets and lengths. The application should employ proper error handling that does not expose database structure information to end users, as this could aid attackers in crafting more sophisticated attacks. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities across the entire system architecture. Additionally, implementing database access controls and monitoring mechanisms can help detect unauthorized access attempts and provide early warning of potential exploitation activities. The remediation process should also include updating the Hospital Management System to the latest version that addresses this vulnerability, as vendor patches typically contain the necessary security improvements to prevent such attacks.