CVE-2001-1594 in Healthcare eNTEGRA P
Summary
by MITRE
GE Healthcare eNTEGRA P&R has a password of (1) entegra for the entegra user, (2) passme for the super user of the Polestar/Polestar-i Starlink 4 upgrade, (3) 0 for the entegra user of the Codonics printer FTP service, (4) eNTEGRA for the eNTEGRA P&R user account, (5) insite for the WinVNC Login, and possibly other accounts, which has unspecified impact and attack vectors. NOTE: it is not clear whether this password is default, hardcoded, or dependent on another system or product that requires a fixed value.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2001-1594 represents a critical security weakness in GE Healthcare eNTEGRA P&R systems and related equipment including Polestar/Polestar-i Starlink 4 upgrades and Codonics printers. This issue involves the presence of well-known default passwords across multiple system components that could provide unauthorized access to sensitive medical and laboratory equipment. The vulnerability falls under CWE-798, which specifically addresses the use of hard-coded credentials in software, making it a prime target for exploitation by attackers who seek to gain unauthorized access to healthcare systems. The presence of these default passwords across different product lines indicates a systemic security flaw that affects the overall security posture of GE Healthcare's medical equipment ecosystem.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the inclusion of hardcoded default credentials within the system firmware and software configurations. These passwords include entegra, passme, 0, eNTEGRA, and insite, which are stored in plain text or easily reversible formats within the system components. The vulnerability's operational impact is significant as it allows attackers to gain unauthorized access to critical medical and laboratory equipment without requiring sophisticated exploitation techniques. The attack vectors are diverse and include network-based attacks targeting FTP services, remote desktop protocols, and system administration interfaces. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in healthcare environments where such access could compromise patient data, medical device functionality, and overall system integrity.
The security implications extend beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential data breaches, system compromise, and operational disruption within healthcare facilities. The unspecified impact and attack vectors in the original description suggest that this vulnerability could potentially affect multiple system components and could be leveraged for privilege escalation, data exfiltration, or system manipulation. The fact that these default passwords appear across multiple GE Healthcare products indicates a widespread security weakness that could affect numerous installations. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and credential access, making it a significant concern for healthcare organizations that must maintain compliance with regulations such as HIPAA and HITECH. Organizations using these systems face potential regulatory violations and security breaches if default credentials remain unchanged.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate credential changes for all affected systems, implementation of strong password policies, and regular security audits of medical equipment. The recommended approach includes changing default passwords to complex, unique credentials for each system component, implementing network segmentation to limit access to critical equipment, and establishing regular vulnerability scanning protocols. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication where possible and establish procedures for monitoring and managing credentials across their medical device inventory. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper credential management in industrial control systems and healthcare environments where device security directly impacts patient safety and data protection. Regular security assessments and patch management processes should be implemented to prevent similar issues in future deployments and ensure compliance with industry security standards.