Overview
In this blog post, we will delve into the details of a high-risk vulnerability, CVE-2025-45949. This vulnerability is found in the PHPGurukul User Registration & Login and User Management System V3.3. It specifically resides in the /loginsystem/change-password.php file of the User Panel – Change Password component. The improper handling of session data in this component makes the system vulnerable to Session Hijacking attacks, which can be exploited remotely leading to account takeover. This vulnerability poses a significant threat to individuals and organisations that use this system, as it could potentially lead to system compromise or data leakage, which could have severe consequences.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-45949
Severity: Critical (9.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: No privileges required
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise and data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
PHPGurukul User Registration & Login and User Management System | V3.3
How the Exploit Works
The PHPGurukul User Management System does not properly handle session data, which is an integral part of authentication and authorization in web applications. This improper handling allows an attacker to hijack a user’s session, gaining unauthorized access to their account. By exploiting this vulnerability, an attacker can effectively bypass the authentication mechanism, leading to unauthorized access, and potentially enabling the attacker to view, alter, or delete sensitive data.
Conceptual Example Code
To illustrate the type of attack an attacker might use, consider the following conceptual HTTP request. This is not an actual exploit, but an illustration of how an attacker might manipulate session data:
GET /loginsystem/change-password.php HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Cookie: PHPSESSID=...; hijacked_session=...
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
...
<input type="hidden" name="session_id" value="..." />
...
</html>In this example, the attacker sends a GET request to the /loginsystem/change-password.php endpoint, with a hijacked session cookie. The server responds with a HTML page, which includes a hidden input field containing the session id. The attacker can then use this session id to impersonate the victim, effectively taking over their account.
Mitigation
In order to mitigate this vulnerability, users are advised to apply the vendor-supplied patch as soon as possible. If this is not immediately feasible, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide temporary mitigation. These systems can help detect and block attempts to exploit this vulnerability. However, they are not a permanent solution, and users should still apply the vendor patch as soon as they are able.