CVE-2025-13565: Inventory Management System Auth Bypass

CVE-2025-13565 Overview

A weak password recovery vulnerability has been identified in SourceCodester Inventory Management System 1.0. The affected element is the password reset functionality located in the file /model/user/resetPassword.php. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to exploit weak password recovery mechanisms, potentially leading to unauthorized account access. The exploit has been made publicly available, increasing the risk of exploitation in the wild.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit the weak password recovery mechanism to potentially reset user passwords without proper authorization, leading to account takeover and unauthorized access to sensitive inventory management data.

Affected Products

• Warren-daloyan Inventory Management System 1.0
• SourceCodester Inventory Management System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-11-23 - CVE CVE-2025-13565 published to NVD
• 2025-11-26 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-13565

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-640 (Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password). The flaw exists within the /model/user/resetPassword.php file of the Inventory Management System. The password reset functionality lacks proper security controls, allowing attackers to manipulate the password recovery process without adequate authentication or verification.

The vulnerability can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring any prior authentication or user interaction. An attacker can send crafted requests to the vulnerable endpoint to trigger the weak password recovery functionality, potentially allowing them to reset passwords for arbitrary user accounts.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper implementation of the password reset mechanism in the resetPassword.php file. The system fails to implement adequate security measures such as proper token validation, rate limiting, or user verification during the password recovery process. This allows unauthenticated attackers to exploit the weak recovery mechanism.

Attack Vector

The attack can be performed remotely over the network. An attacker does not need any privileges or user interaction to exploit this vulnerability. The attack targets the /model/user/resetPassword.php endpoint, where manipulation of the password reset functionality can lead to unauthorized password changes.

The vulnerability allows attackers to bypass normal authentication workflows by exploiting the weak password recovery mechanism. This could enable account takeover by resetting passwords without proper authorization checks. For detailed technical information, see the Notion Vulnerability Report and VulDB entry #333329.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-13565

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or excessive requests to /model/user/resetPassword.php endpoint
• Multiple password reset attempts for different user accounts from the same IP address
• Password reset requests containing manipulated or malformed parameters
• Successful password changes without corresponding legitimate user activity

Detection Strategies

• Monitor web server access logs for suspicious patterns targeting the resetPassword.php endpoint
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block malicious password reset requests
• Set up alerts for multiple failed or suspicious password reset attempts within short time windows
• Review application logs for anomalous password reset activity patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for all password reset functionality
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) to monitor for exploitation attempts against this endpoint
• Implement real-time alerting for unusual password reset patterns or volumes
• Monitor for account lockouts or password changes that don't correlate with legitimate user activity

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-13565

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict access to the vulnerable /model/user/resetPassword.php endpoint until a patch is available
• Implement additional authentication controls for the password reset functionality
• Consider disabling the password reset feature temporarily if business operations allow
• Review and audit all user accounts for unauthorized password changes

Patch Information

As of the last modification date (2025-11-26), no official vendor patch has been released for this vulnerability. Organizations using SourceCodester Inventory Management System 1.0 should monitor the SourceCodester website for security updates and patches. Additional vulnerability details are available through the VulDB entry.

Workarounds

• Implement IP-based access restrictions to limit who can access the password reset functionality
• Add CAPTCHA or rate limiting to the password reset endpoint to prevent automated exploitation
• Require additional verification steps (such as security questions or email confirmation) before allowing password resets
• Configure web application firewall rules to filter malicious requests targeting the vulnerable endpoint

# Configuration example - Apache .htaccess restriction for resetPassword.php
<Files "resetPassword.php">
    Order Deny,Allow
    Deny from all
    # Allow only from trusted internal networks
    Allow from 192.168.1.0/24
    Allow from 10.0.0.0/8
</Files>