CVE-2025-3825 in Web-based Pharmacy Product Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 04/20/2025
A vulnerability, which was classified as problematic, has been found in SourceCodester Web-based Pharmacy Product Management System 1.0. Affected by this issue is some unknown functionality of the file add-category.php. The manipulation of the argument txtcategory_name leads to cross site scripting. The attack may be launched remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2025
This vulnerability resides within the SourceCodester Web-based Pharmacy Product Management System version 1.0, specifically targeting the add-category.php file. The flaw represents a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability that occurs when user input is not properly sanitized before being rendered in web pages. The txtcategory_name parameter serves as the attack vector, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers. This particular vulnerability has been publicly disclosed and is considered exploitable, making it a significant security concern for any organization using this software.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices within the application's backend processing. When the txtcategory_name parameter is submitted through the add-category.php endpoint, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that bypass the application's security controls and execute within the victim's browser environment. The vulnerability's classification as remotely exploitable means that attackers can initiate attacks without requiring physical access to the system or direct interaction with the server infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking. An attacker could leverage this XSS flaw to perform a variety of malicious activities including but not limited to stealing user credentials, modifying product information, redirecting users to malicious sites, or even installing malware through browser-based attacks. Given that this is a pharmacy management system, the potential for data breaches involving sensitive patient information, prescription records, or inventory data creates additional regulatory and compliance concerns. The vulnerability also undermines user trust in the application and could result in significant financial and reputational damage to the organization.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The primary defense involves sanitizing all user inputs, particularly those that are directly rendered in web pages, through proper HTML escaping and encoding techniques. Implementing a Content Security Policy (CSP) would provide an additional layer of protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed. Regular security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities throughout the application codebase. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring systems to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a technique commonly catalogued under ATT&CK tactic TA0001 (Initial Access) and technique T1059.007 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript).