CVE-2025-5584 in Hospital Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 06/04/2025
A vulnerability was found in PHPGurukul Hospital Management System 4.0. It has been classified as problematic. Affected is an unknown function of the file /doctor/edit-patient.php?editid=2 of the component POST Parameter Handler. The manipulation of the argument patname leads to cross site scripting. It is possible to launch the attack remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/11/2025
This vulnerability exists within the PHPGurukul Hospital Management System version 4.0, specifically in the doctor module's patient editing functionality. The issue manifests in the /doctor/edit-patient.php script where the POST parameter handler processes user input without adequate sanitization or validation. The vulnerability is categorized as a cross-site scripting flaw that occurs when the patname parameter is manipulated during the patient editing process. This type of vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, potentially compromising the confidentiality and integrity of the system's data.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the patname parameter within the POST request to the edit-patient.php endpoint. When an attacker submits crafted input through this parameter, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape the data before rendering it back to users in the web interface. This creates an opportunity for attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability is classified as a reflected cross-site scripting issue under CWE-79, which specifically addresses the improper sanitization of user-supplied data that gets reflected back to users. The attack can be executed remotely without requiring any special privileges or authentication, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that handle sensitive medical information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for healthcare organizations using the affected system. Attackers could potentially execute malicious scripts that steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or even perform unauthorized actions within the hospital management system if additional vulnerabilities exist. Given that the system handles sensitive patient data, this vulnerability could lead to data breaches, privacy violations, and potential compromise of the entire healthcare information system. The fact that the exploit has been publicly disclosed increases the risk profile substantially, as threat actors can immediately leverage this knowledge to target vulnerable installations. The attack surface is further expanded by the remote execution capability, meaning that attackers do not need physical access to the network to exploit this vulnerability.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper input validation and output sanitization mechanisms throughout the application. The most effective immediate fix would be to sanitize all user inputs, particularly the patname parameter, using proper escaping techniques before rendering any data back to users. This includes implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and employing proper HTML entity encoding for all dynamic content. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive code reviews to identify similar vulnerabilities in other parts of the application, as the presence of one XSS vulnerability often indicates broader security issues. Additionally, implementing proper web application firewall rules to detect and block suspicious input patterns can provide additional protection layers. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering through malicious input, and T1059 which involves executing malicious code through command injection or script execution, making it critical for organizations to address this vulnerability promptly through both immediate patching and long-term security hardening measures.