CVE-2025-57254 is an SQL injection vulnerability identified in the Karthikg1908 Hospital Management System (HMS) version 1.0, specifically affecting the user-login.php and index.php scripts. The vulnerability arises because the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input in the username and password POST parameters before embedding them into SQL queries. This improper input validation allows a remote attacker to inject arbitrary SQL code, which can be executed by the backend database. Exploiting this flaw, an attacker could bypass authentication mechanisms, escalate privileges, take over user accounts, or extract sensitive data from the database. Given that the affected system is a hospital management platform, the data at risk likely includes confidential medical records, patient personal information, and possibly administrative credentials. The lack of proper input sanitization is a classic example of an injection flaw, which remains one of the most critical and common vulnerabilities in web applications. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability is publicly disclosed and thus could be targeted by attackers. No CVSS score has been assigned yet, and no patches or mitigations have been officially released. The vulnerability’s presence in core authentication scripts makes it particularly dangerous, as it directly impacts the system’s access control and data confidentiality.

For European organizations, especially healthcare providers using the Karthikg1908 HMS or similar systems, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to patient records, violating GDPR regulations concerning personal data protection and potentially resulting in severe legal and financial penalties. The compromise of login credentials could allow attackers to manipulate patient data, disrupt hospital operations, or launch further attacks within the network. The exposure of sensitive medical information could damage patient trust and the organization's reputation. Additionally, healthcare institutions are critical infrastructure, and disruption or data breaches could have life-threatening consequences. Given the sensitive nature of healthcare data and the strict regulatory environment in Europe, the impact extends beyond technical damage to legal and compliance domains.

Immediate mitigation should focus on implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries (prepared statements) to prevent SQL injection. Developers should refactor the affected login scripts to sanitize and validate all user inputs rigorously. Employing web application firewalls (WAFs) with SQL injection detection rules can provide temporary protection while patches are developed. Organizations should conduct thorough code reviews and penetration testing of the HMS to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities. Monitoring and logging authentication attempts for unusual activity can help detect exploitation attempts early. Since no official patches are available, organizations should consider isolating the affected HMS instance, restricting network access, and applying strict access controls. Regular backups and an incident response plan tailored for healthcare data breaches are also critical. Finally, organizations should engage with the vendor or development community to obtain or develop patches and updates.