CVE-2025-56274 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting SourceCodester Web-based Pharmacy Product Management System version 1.0. The vulnerability is classified as Incorrect Access Control (CWE-284), which allows low-privileged users to bypass intended access restrictions and forge sessions with high-level privileges, such as administrative accounts. This flaw enables attackers to perform sensitive operations, including adding new users, which could lead to unauthorized system modifications and potential persistence within the application environment. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network (AV:N), requires low privileges (PR:L), and does not require user interaction (UI:N). The impact on confidentiality and integrity is high, as attackers can escalate privileges and manipulate user accounts, but availability is not affected. No patches or known exploits in the wild have been reported as of the publication date (September 15, 2025). The vulnerability affects a specific web-based pharmacy product management system, which is likely used by healthcare providers and pharmacies to manage inventory and user roles.

For European organizations, particularly those in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized administrative access, allowing attackers to manipulate user accounts, potentially create backdoors, and alter sensitive data related to pharmacy product management. This could disrupt operations, compromise patient safety through incorrect medication management, and lead to regulatory non-compliance under GDPR and healthcare data protection laws. The breach of confidentiality and integrity of sensitive healthcare data could also result in reputational damage and financial penalties. Since the system is web-based and accessible over the network, attackers could exploit this vulnerability remotely, increasing the risk for organizations with internet-facing deployments of this software.

Given the absence of official patches, European organizations using this system should immediately implement compensating controls. These include restricting network access to the management system using firewalls and VPNs to limit exposure to trusted personnel only. Implement strict monitoring and logging of user activities to detect anomalous behavior indicative of privilege escalation attempts. Enforce strong authentication mechanisms, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), to reduce the risk of session forgery. Conduct thorough access reviews to ensure minimal privileges are assigned and remove unnecessary user accounts. If possible, isolate the affected system within segmented network zones to limit lateral movement. Organizations should also engage with the vendor or SourceCodester community to obtain or request security patches and consider alternative software solutions if remediation is delayed.