CVE-2023-41532 in Hospital Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 08/07/2025
Hospital Management System v4 was discovered to contain a SQL injection vulnerability via the doctor_contact parameter in doctorsearch.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/07/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-41532 represents a critical security flaw in Hospital Management System version 4, specifically targeting the doctorsearch.php component through the doctor_contact parameter. This SQL injection vulnerability arises from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the web application's database interaction layer, creating an exploitable entry point for malicious actors to manipulate the underlying database queries. The flaw exists in the application's handling of user-supplied data when searching for doctor contact information, where the doctor_contact parameter fails to properly escape or validate special characters that could alter the intended SQL command structure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's direct concatenation of user input into SQL query strings without appropriate parameterization or input filtering mechanisms. When an attacker submits malicious input through the doctor_contact parameter, the system processes this data without sufficient sanitization, allowing SQL commands embedded within the input to be executed by the database engine. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws in software applications. The attack vector is particularly concerning in healthcare environments where sensitive patient data and medical records are stored, as the vulnerability could potentially allow unauthorized access to confidential medical information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it could enable attackers to perform unauthorized database operations including data retrieval, modification, or deletion. In a hospital management system context, this could result in the compromise of patient medical records, personal identification information, treatment histories, and other sensitive healthcare data that falls under regulatory compliance requirements such as HIPAA. The vulnerability's exploitation could lead to data breaches affecting thousands of patients, potential regulatory fines, and significant reputational damage to healthcare institutions. Additionally, the compromised system could serve as a foothold for further attacks within the hospital's network infrastructure, potentially enabling lateral movement and privilege escalation attacks.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate implementation of parameterized queries or prepared statements to ensure that user input is properly separated from SQL command structures. The application code must be updated to validate and sanitize all user inputs through whitelisting mechanisms, ensuring that only expected character patterns are accepted in the doctor_contact parameter. Input length restrictions and proper error handling should be implemented to prevent information leakage that could aid in further exploitation attempts. Network-level protections including web application firewalls and database activity monitoring should be deployed to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Regular security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities throughout the application codebase. The remediation process should follow established security frameworks such as those outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework for database attacks, ensuring comprehensive protection against both current and emerging threats targeting healthcare information systems.