CVE-2025-45949 is a critical vulnerability identified in the PHPGurukul User Registration & Login and User Management System version 3.3, specifically within the /loginsystem/change-password.php component of the user panel. The vulnerability arises due to improper handling of session data, which allows an attacker to perform a remote Session Hijacking attack. This flaw enables the attacker to take over user accounts without requiring any authentication or user interaction. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-384 (Session Fixation), indicating that session tokens are not properly managed or invalidated, allowing attackers to reuse or manipulate session identifiers. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 reflects the critical nature of this vulnerability, with an attack vector that is network-based (AV:N), requiring no privileges (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacting confidentiality, integrity, and availability to a high degree (C:H/I:H/A:H). Exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to full account takeover, potentially allowing attackers to access sensitive user data, modify account information, or disrupt service availability. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the ease of exploitation and severity make it a significant threat to any organization using this system for user management and authentication.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-45949 can be substantial, especially for those relying on PHPGurukul User Registration & Login systems for managing user authentication and access control. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to user accounts, resulting in data breaches involving personal identifiable information (PII), financial data, or intellectual property. This can cause regulatory non-compliance issues under GDPR, leading to heavy fines and reputational damage. Furthermore, attackers could leverage compromised accounts to escalate privileges, pivot within networks, or launch further attacks such as fraud or identity theft. The disruption of user services due to session hijacking could also degrade customer trust and operational continuity. Organizations in sectors with high-value targets, such as finance, healthcare, and government services, are particularly at risk. The vulnerability’s remote exploitability and lack of required user interaction increase the likelihood of automated attacks, amplifying potential damage.

To mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2025-45949, European organizations should take the following specific actions: 1) Immediately review and update the PHPGurukul User Registration & Login system to the latest patched version once available; if no patch exists, consider disabling or isolating the vulnerable change-password functionality. 2) Implement strict session management best practices, including regenerating session IDs upon login and password changes, setting secure and HttpOnly flags on cookies, and enforcing short session timeouts. 3) Conduct thorough code audits focusing on session handling to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities. 4) Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious session-related activities. 5) Monitor authentication logs for anomalous session behavior indicative of hijacking attempts. 6) Educate users and administrators about the risks of session hijacking and encourage the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an additional security layer. 7) For critical systems, consider implementing anomaly detection systems that can identify unusual session patterns in real-time. These measures, combined, will reduce the attack surface and limit the potential impact of this vulnerability.