Overview
The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) system has identified a significant security vulnerability, CVE-2025-50493, in the PHPGurukul Doctor Appointment Management System version 1. This vulnerability stems from an improper session invalidation within the component /doctor/change-password.php, which could potentially allow attackers to execute a session hijacking attack. This situation is of grave concern as it exposes the system to possible compromise and data leakage, impacting not just the system’s integrity, but confidentiality and availability as well.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-50493
Severity: High (7.5 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
Product | Affected Versions
PHPGurukul Doctor Appointment Management System | v1
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability occurs due to the improper invalidation of sessions in the /doctor/change-password.php component. An attacker, upon obtaining a valid session ID, can hijack the session, gaining unauthorized access to the system. This could lead to a variety of potential security breaches, including system compromise and data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
Here’s a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited, involving an HTTP request that uses a stolen session ID:
GET /doctor/change-password.php HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Cookie: PHPSESSID=stolen_session_id
In this example, the attacker is using a stolen session ID to gain unauthorized access to the change password page, potentially allowing for system compromise or data leakage.
Please note that this is a hypothetical example. Real-world attacks may be more complex and require additional steps, such as actually locating and stealing a valid session ID.
Mitigation Guidance
The recommended mitigation solution is to apply the vendor-provided patch, which addresses the improper session invalidation issue. In the meantime, or if a patch is not immediately available, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can be used as a temporary mitigation measure. These interim solutions can help detect and prevent session hijacking attempts.
