CVE-2025-56216 in Hospital Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 08/26/2025
phpgurukul Hospital Management System 4.0 is vulnerable to SQL Injection in about-us.php via the pagetitle parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/03/2025
The phpgurukul Hospital Management System version 4.0 presents a critical security vulnerability through a SQL injection flaw in the about-us.php component. This vulnerability specifically manifests through the pagetitle parameter, which fails to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into database queries. The weakness allows malicious actors to manipulate the application's database interactions by injecting malicious SQL code through the parameter, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion. This vulnerability represents a significant risk to healthcare organizations relying on this system for patient management and administrative functions.
The technical implementation of this SQL injection vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and parameter sanitization within the about-us.php script. When the pagetitle parameter is processed without proper escaping or prepared statement usage, attackers can append malicious SQL fragments that alter the intended query execution flow. This flaw aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection vulnerabilities where untrusted data is directly incorporated into SQL commands without proper sanitization measures. The vulnerability operates at the application layer, making it particularly dangerous as it can bypass traditional network-based security controls and directly compromise the database backend.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, potentially enabling complete database compromise and unauthorized system access. Attackers could exploit this weakness to extract sensitive patient information, modify medical records, or even gain administrative privileges within the hospital management system. Given that healthcare data is highly regulated and protected under standards such as HIPAA, such an exploitation could result in severe compliance violations and regulatory penalties. The vulnerability also presents a potential entry point for broader network attacks, as compromised database credentials could be used to access other interconnected systems within the healthcare organization's infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate implementation of parameterized queries or prepared statements to prevent SQL injection attacks. The about-us.php script must be updated to properly escape or validate all user inputs, particularly the pagetitle parameter, before database processing occurs. Organizations should implement input validation mechanisms that reject or sanitize potentially malicious SQL characters and sequences. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities throughout the application. The remediation approach should follow established security frameworks such as those recommended by the ATT&CK framework, specifically focusing on preventing command injection and data manipulation techniques. Network segmentation and database access controls should also be strengthened to limit potential damage from successful exploitation attempts.