CVE-2023-4180 in Free Hospital Management System for Small Practices
Summary
by MITRE • 08/06/2023
A vulnerability classified as critical was found in SourceCodester Free Hospital Management System for Small Practices 1.0. Affected by this vulnerability is an unknown functionality of the file /vm/login.php. The manipulation of the argument useremail/userpassword leads to sql injection. The attack can be launched remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The associated identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-236215.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/30/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-4180 represents a critical sql injection flaw within the SourceCodester Free Hospital Management System version 1.0, specifically affecting the authentication mechanism through the /vm/login.php file. This vulnerability resides in the handling of useremail and userpassword parameters, which are processed without adequate input validation or sanitization measures. The flaw allows attackers to manipulate these authentication parameters to inject malicious sql code directly into the database query execution flow.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which categorizes sql injection as a code injection technique where untrusted data is incorporated into sql queries without proper escaping or parameterization. The attack vector is remotely exploitable, meaning that malicious actors can leverage this vulnerability from outside the network perimeter without requiring physical access or prior authentication. The disclosed exploit status indicates that threat actors have already developed and published methods to capitalize on this weakness, increasing the immediate risk to systems running the vulnerable software.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to patient records, medical histories, and administrative data within the hospital management system. The sql injection attack could potentially allow for privilege escalation, data modification, or complete system compromise, particularly given that the vulnerability affects core authentication functionality. Healthcare organizations utilizing this system face significant compliance risks under regulations such as hipaa, which mandates the protection of patient health information and requires robust security controls to prevent unauthorized access.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of the vulnerable software to address the sql injection vulnerability in the authentication component. Organizations should implement proper input validation and parameterized queries to prevent similar issues in future deployments. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit exposure of the vulnerable system, while regular security assessments and penetration testing can help identify additional vulnerabilities. The use of web application firewalls and database activity monitoring solutions can provide additional layers of protection against sql injection attacks, though these should not replace proper code-level fixes. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1190 - exploitation of remote services and T1071.004 - application layer protocol web protocols, emphasizing the need for both network-level and application-level security controls to effectively defend against such attacks.