CVE-2025-44185 in Best Employee Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 05/15/2025
SourceCodester Best Employee Management System V1.0 is vulnerable to Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) in /admin/change_pass.php via the password parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/15/2025
The CVE-2025-44185 vulnerability affects the SourceCodester Best Employee Management System version 1.0, specifically targeting the administrative password change functionality. This represents a critical security flaw that undermines the system's authentication mechanisms and exposes sensitive administrative operations to unauthorized manipulation. The vulnerability exists within the /admin/change_pass.php endpoint, which processes password modification requests without proper CSRF protection measures. This allows attackers to execute unauthorized password changes against administrative accounts, potentially leading to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to employee data and system controls.
The technical implementation flaw stems from the absence of anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms in the password change form processing. When administrators access the change password functionality, the application fails to verify the authenticity of the request origin, making it susceptible to cross-site request forgery attacks. An attacker can craft malicious web pages or exploit existing vulnerabilities in web browsers to trick authenticated administrators into executing password change requests without their knowledge or consent. The vulnerability specifically targets the password parameter, suggesting that the application accepts password modifications through GET or POST requests without proper origin validation or token verification. This flaw directly aligns with CWE-352, which categorizes Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities as a critical security weakness in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple password compromise, as it provides attackers with a potential foothold for further system exploitation. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to gain administrative privileges, modify employee records, access sensitive data, and potentially establish persistent access through compromised administrative accounts. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability affects the administrative interface, which typically holds the highest level of system privileges and access controls. Organizations relying on this employee management system face significant risks including data breaches, unauthorized modifications to employee information, and potential disruption of business operations. The vulnerability also increases the risk of lateral movement within networks if administrative credentials are used for additional system access.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust CSRF protection mechanisms including the use of anti-CSRF tokens that are generated per session and validated on each request. The application should enforce proper origin validation and implement SameSite cookie attributes to prevent cross-site request forgery attacks. Additionally, the system should require multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts and implement proper session management controls. Security patches should be applied immediately to address the vulnerability, and administrators should conduct thorough security assessments of the application's authentication mechanisms. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and monitoring controls to detect unauthorized administrative access attempts. The remediation process should include code review to ensure all administrative functions implement proper CSRF protection measures and adherence to OWASP Top Ten security guidelines. This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of implementing comprehensive security controls in web applications, particularly for administrative interfaces that handle sensitive operations and data access.