Cyber Resilience

CVE-2023-31498

Auth Bypass in Phpgurukul Hospital Management System 4.0

Public PoCAuth Bypass
Published
11 May 2023
Modified
27 January 2025
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 9.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.021 80th percentile
Risk Priority 80 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2023-31498 is a critical-severity Session Fixation (CWE-384) vulnerability in Phpgurukul Hospital Management System. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Steal Web Session Cookie (T1539); ranked in the top 20% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

A privilege escalation vulnerability tracked as CVE-2023-31498 affects PHP Gurukul Hospital Management System version 4.0 and stems from improper handling of the session token parameter, corresponding to CWE-384. The flaw received a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8, reflecting network-accessible attack conditions that require no authentication or user interaction and can result in full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

An unauthenticated remote attacker can supply a crafted session token to escalate privileges, execute arbitrary code on the server, and retrieve sensitive information stored by the application. The published description indicates the issue can be triggered directly over the network without any prior foothold.

Public references consist of researcher disclosures on GitHub and Gist that appear to contain proof-of-concept material; no vendor advisory, patch information, or official mitigation guidance is provided in the available sources.

EPSS scores reached a peak of 0.0965 before settling at the current value of 0.0583, indicating modest post-disclosure interest without evidence of widespread exploitation.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

A privilege escalation issue was found in PHP Gurukul Hospital Management System In v.4.0 allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code and access sensitive information via the session token parameter.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1539 Steal Web Session Cookie Credential Access
An adversary may steal web application or service session cookies and use them to gain access to web applications or Internet services as an authenticated user without needing credentials.
T1550.004 Web Session Cookie Lateral Movement
Adversaries can use stolen session cookies to authenticate to web applications and services.
T1606 Forge Web Credentials Credential Access
Adversaries may forge credential materials that can be used to gain access to web applications or Internet services.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2024-0286Same product: Phpgurukul Hospital Management System
CVE-2024-46237Same product: Phpgurukul Hospital Management System
CVE-2024-56998Same product: Phpgurukul Hospital Management System
CVE-2024-46238Same product: Phpgurukul Hospital Management System
CVE-2024-56997Same product: Phpgurukul Hospital Management System
CVE-2024-46239Same product: Phpgurukul Hospital Management System
CVE-2023-7173Same product: Phpgurukul Hospital Management System
CVE-2024-56990Same product: Phpgurukul Hospital Management System
CVE-2024-11675Same product: Phpgurukul Hospital Management System
CVE-2025-56216Same product: Phpgurukul Hospital Management System

Affected Assets

phpgurukul
hospital management system
4.0

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V4.4.4
  • V7.6.2

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

addresses: CWE-384

Session termination after a set interval shortens the usable lifetime of a fixed session identifier, making successful exploitation of session fixation more difficult.

addresses: CWE-384

Re-authentication typically forces issuance of a new session, limiting the window for exploitation of a previously fixed session identifier.

addresses: CWE-384

Enforces proper session ID generation and binding, preventing fixation of a known session token.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.AA-03 mostly match
prevents

Proper authentication processes must invalidate prior session identifiers to prevent fixation attacks.

PR.AA-01 partial match
prevents

Managing identities and credentials includes handling session identifiers as temporary credentials that must be invalidated on re-authentication.

PR.AA-04 partial match
prevents

Protecting and verifying identity assertions encompasses secure handling and regeneration of session tokens.

PR.PS-01 partial match
prevents

Configuration baselines can enforce session regeneration and timeout settings that block fixation.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

finds

Security testing can detect session-fixation issues, yet the weakness absence does not replace comprehensive testing.

degrades

Access-control policy can mandate session invalidation on re-authentication, but does not prescribe the technical mechanism.

degrades

Identity-management procedures can require new session tokens after login, yet the control is broader than session handling.

degrades

Authentication-information rules can include session-token lifecycle requirements, but the control focuses on credential management.

prevents

Secure-SDLC requirement can embed session-fixation checks, but eliminating the weakness does not satisfy the full SDLC control.

prevents

Application-security requirements can specify session handling, yet the weakness fix alone does not meet the broader requirement.

References