Description

A vulnerability was found in SourceCodester Human Resource Management System 1.0. Affected by this vulnerability is the function session_start of the file controller/employee.php of the component Employee Endpoint. The manipulation of the argument role/pfimg/EmpId results in improper authentication. It is possible to launch the attack remotely. The exploit has been made public and could be used.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "7.3",
  "pubDate": "2026-10-13T06:16:53.947Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-10-13T06:16:53.947Z",
  "executiveSummary": "A critical improper authentication vulnerability exists in the SourceCodester Human Resource Management System 1.0, specifically within the Employee Endpoint component.\nThe vulnerability resides in the session_start function located in controller/employee.php, which fails to adequately validate input parameters.\nBy manipulating specific arguments such as role, pfimg, or EmpId, a remote, unauthenticated attacker can bypass existing security controls and manipulate session states.\nThis flaw grants unauthorized access to restricted functionalities or data tied to the manipulated identifiers, effectively circumventing the intended authentication mechanism.\nGiven that the exploit is publicly available, the risk to deployments of this software is high, as the barrier to entry for exploitation is low and requires minimal technical sophistication.\nSuccessful exploitation results in full authentication bypass, allowing attackers to masquerade as legitimate users or administrative personnel within the Human Resource Management System.\nImmediate action is required to restrict access or implement compensatory controls to prevent unauthorized session initialization.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability is an Improper Authentication flaw located in the controller/employee.php file of the SourceCodester Human Resource Management System 1.0.\nThe root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insecure implementation of the session_start function, which improperly processes and trusts user-supplied input parameters during the session initialization sequence.\nSpecifically, the application logic fails to perform cryptographically secure validation or server-side verification of the role, pfimg, and EmpId arguments submitted via the HTTP request.\nThe exploitation flow begins when an attacker sends a crafted remote request to the vulnerable endpoint. By injecting specific values into the vulnerable parameters, the attacker forces the application to incorrectly evaluate the authorization state of the session.\nBecause the server-side code relies on these client-supplied identifiers to determine session privileges without verifying them against a trusted backend session store or authentication provider, the application creates a session context that aligns with the attacker's supplied parameters.\nThis allows the attacker to assume arbitrary identities or administrative roles within the system's context. Since this can be triggered remotely without prior authentication, it poses a significant threat to the integrity and confidentiality of the HR management data.\nThe payload does not necessarily require complex injection techniques but rather focuses on the manipulation of request parameters that govern the session establishment process. Once the session is improperly initialized, the application serves as an authenticated environment for the attacker, who can then interact with the system as if they were a legitimate, potentially privileged user.\nPost-exploitation impact includes unauthorized access to employee records, modification of HR data, and potential administrative takeover of the affected system instance. The exposure is total, as the application's authentication logic is fundamentally bypassed at the source."
}