CVE-2025-4196 is a SQL Injection vulnerability identified in SourceCodester Patient Record Management System version 1.0, specifically affecting the /birthing.php file. The vulnerability arises from improper sanitization or validation of the 'comp_id' parameter, which can be manipulated by an attacker to inject malicious SQL commands. This flaw allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to execute arbitrary SQL queries on the backend database without requiring user interaction or elevated privileges. The vulnerability is rated with a CVSS 4.0 score of 5.3 (medium severity), reflecting factors such as network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, and no user interaction needed. However, the impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is limited (low) according to the CVSS vector, indicating that while exploitation is possible remotely, the scope and impact on data and system stability are somewhat constrained. No public exploits are currently known in the wild, and no patches or mitigations have been officially released by the vendor. The vulnerability affects a healthcare-related application managing patient records, which typically stores sensitive personal and medical data. SQL Injection vulnerabilities can lead to unauthorized data access, data modification, or even complete compromise of the underlying database, depending on the database permissions and configuration. Given the critical nature of healthcare data, exploitation could result in privacy breaches, data integrity issues, and disruption of healthcare services.

For European organizations, particularly healthcare providers using SourceCodester Patient Record Management System 1.0, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to patient data confidentiality and integrity. Unauthorized access to patient records could lead to exposure of sensitive personal health information, violating GDPR and other data protection regulations, potentially resulting in legal penalties and reputational damage. Data manipulation could compromise clinical decision-making and patient safety. Additionally, attackers could disrupt healthcare operations by corrupting or deleting records, impacting availability of critical services. Even though the CVSS score indicates medium severity, the sector-specific impact elevates the threat level due to the sensitivity of healthcare data. Organizations relying on this system may face increased risk of targeted attacks, especially given the public disclosure of the vulnerability. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently limits immediate widespread impact, but the availability of the vulnerability details increases the risk of future exploitation attempts.

1. Immediate mitigation should include restricting external access to the affected /birthing.php endpoint through network segmentation or firewall rules to limit exposure. 2. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules specifically designed to detect and block SQL Injection attempts targeting the 'comp_id' parameter. 3. Conduct a thorough code review and apply input validation and parameterized queries or prepared statements to sanitize the 'comp_id' input, eliminating the injection vector. 4. If possible, upgrade or patch the Patient Record Management System once the vendor releases an official fix. 5. Monitor logs for unusual database queries or failed injection attempts to detect exploitation attempts early. 6. Perform regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on injection vulnerabilities in all web-facing healthcare applications. 7. Educate IT and security teams about this specific vulnerability to ensure rapid response and containment. 8. Backup patient data regularly and ensure backups are secure and tested for integrity to enable recovery in case of data corruption or loss.