CVE-2025-5376 Overview
A critical SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in SourceCodester Health Center Patient Record Management System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the /patient.php file, where the itr_no parameter is not properly sanitized before being used in SQL queries. This flaw allows remote attackers to inject malicious SQL statements, potentially compromising the entire patient database and exposing sensitive healthcare records.
Critical Impact
This SQL injection vulnerability in a healthcare application could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive patient records, data exfiltration, modification of medical records, and potential compliance violations under healthcare data protection regulations.
Affected Products
- Razormist Health Center Patient Record Management System 1.0
- Web applications utilizing the vulnerable /patient.php endpoint
- Healthcare facilities deploying this patient record management solution
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-05-31 - CVE-2025-5376 published to NVD
- 2025-06-09 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-5376
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability is classified as SQL Injection (CWE-89) and falls under the broader category of Injection flaws (CWE-74). The vulnerable endpoint /patient.php accepts user-supplied input through the itr_no parameter without proper validation or sanitization. When this parameter is directly concatenated into SQL queries, attackers can manipulate the query structure to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the backend database.
The attack can be launched remotely over the network without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous for internet-facing deployments. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of exploitation by malicious actors.
Root Cause
The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation and the absence of parameterized queries (prepared statements) in the application code. The itr_no parameter value is directly incorporated into SQL query strings without sanitization, escaping, or use of secure database access patterns. This allows specially crafted input to break out of the intended query context and inject malicious SQL syntax.
Attack Vector
The attack is network-based and does not require authentication or user interaction. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests to the /patient.php endpoint, manipulating the itr_no parameter to inject SQL payloads. This could enable:
- Extraction of sensitive patient data through UNION-based or blind SQL injection techniques
- Modification or deletion of patient records
- Authentication bypass to gain administrative access
- Potential command execution on the database server depending on database configuration
The vulnerability mechanism involves unsanitized user input being directly concatenated into SQL queries. An attacker can manipulate the itr_no parameter to escape the intended query context and inject malicious SQL commands. For example, appending SQL operators or UNION statements to the parameter value could allow data extraction from other tables in the database. Technical details and proof-of-concept information can be found in the GitHub Issue Discussion and VulDB Entry #310669.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-5376
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual or malformed requests to /patient.php containing SQL syntax characters such as single quotes, double dashes, semicolons, or UNION keywords in the itr_no parameter
- Database error messages appearing in web application responses indicating failed SQL injection attempts
- Unexpected database queries or data access patterns in database logs
- Large data transfers from the database server that may indicate data exfiltration
Detection Strategies
- Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns targeting the itr_no parameter
- Deploy intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common SQL injection attack patterns
- Monitor application logs for suspicious activity on the /patient.php endpoint
- Configure database activity monitoring to alert on anomalous query patterns or unauthorized data access
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable detailed logging for all requests to the /patient.php endpoint and review regularly
- Set up real-time alerting for database errors that may indicate injection attempts
- Monitor for unusual data access patterns, especially bulk retrieval of patient records
- Implement rate limiting on the vulnerable endpoint to slow potential automated exploitation
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-5376
Immediate Actions Required
- Restrict access to the /patient.php endpoint immediately if feasible, using network-level controls or authentication requirements
- Implement input validation to reject requests with SQL metacharacters in the itr_no parameter
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules in front of the application
- Review database permissions to ensure the application uses a least-privilege database account
- Audit database logs for signs of prior exploitation
Patch Information
No official vendor patch has been released at this time. Organizations should monitor SourceCodester for security updates. Given this is an open-source project from SourceCodester, users may need to implement their own code fixes or consider alternative patient record management solutions with better security practices.
For technical details about this vulnerability, refer to:
Workarounds
- Implement server-side input validation to sanitize the itr_no parameter, rejecting any input containing SQL metacharacters
- Modify the application code to use parameterized queries (prepared statements) instead of string concatenation for database queries
- Deploy the application behind a reverse proxy with SQL injection filtering capabilities
- Restrict network access to the application to trusted IP ranges only until a permanent fix is applied
# Example: Apache mod_security rule to block SQL injection attempts
SecRule ARGS:itr_no "@detectSQLi" "id:1001,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'SQL Injection Attempt Detected'"
# Example: Restrict access to patient.php by IP (Apache)
<Location /patient.php>
Require ip 192.168.1.0/24
</Location>
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
