Overview
The CVE-2025-45953 vulnerability, discovered in PHPGurukul Hostel Management System 2.1, is a significant cybersecurity risk with a CVSS Severity Score of 9.1. The flaw resides in the /hostel/change-password.php file of the user panel – Change Password component. The improper handling of session data allows potential attackers to execute a Session Hijacking attack, exploitable remotely.
This vulnerability is critical as it could lead to system compromise or data leakage, impacting hostels, colleges, or other educational institutions using PHPGurukul Hostel Management System 2.1. Immediate action is necessary to mitigate the vulnerability and protect sensitive data.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-45953
Severity: Critical (CVSS: 9.1)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
No phone number, email, or personal info required.
Product | Affected Versions
PHPGurukul Hostel Management System | 2.1
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability stems from the improper handling of session data in the Change Password component of the PHPGurukul Hostel Management System. An attacker can intercept user sessions and hijack them, gaining unauthorized access to the system. This scenario is possible due to the lack of adequate session management practices, which do not validate or expire sessions properly, leaving the system vulnerable to Session Hijacking attacks.
Conceptual Example Code
An attacker might exploit the vulnerability by sending a malicious HTTP request to the vulnerable endpoint as follows:
GET /hostel/change-password.php HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Cookie: PHPSESSID=malicious_session_idThis conceptual example represents an attacker using a hijacked session ID to gain unauthorized access to the system through the Change Password component.
Mitigation and Recommendations
The primary mitigation strategy for this vulnerability is to apply the vendor-provided patch, which addresses the session handling flaw. In situations where immediate patching is not possible, deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as interim mitigation. These systems can help detect and prevent session hijacking attempts.
Furthermore, it is recommended to follow best practices for session management, such as regularly validating and expiring sessions, encrypting session data, and implementing secure cookie flags to prevent session ID theft. Organizations are also advised to educate their staff about the dangers of session hijacking and how to prevent it, to further strengthen their security posture.