CVE-2010-5306 in Healthcare Optima
Summary
by MITRE
GE Healthcare Optima CT680, CT540, CT640, and CT520 has a default password of #bigguy for the root user, which has unspecified impact and attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-5306 affects GE Healthcare CT medical imaging systems including the Optima CT680, CT540, CT640, and CT520 models. These systems utilize a default administrative account with the password "#bigguy" for the root user, creating a significant security risk within healthcare environments. This weakness represents a fundamental failure in secure system configuration and demonstrates poor adherence to security best practices in medical device deployment.
The technical flaw stems from the use of a well-known default credential that remains unchanged after device installation and configuration. This default password configuration creates an unauthenticated administrative access point that attackers can exploit to gain full system control. The vulnerability falls under CWE-798, which specifically addresses the use of hard-coded credentials, and represents a critical weakness in authentication mechanisms. The unspecified impact and attack vectors indicate that this default credential could potentially lead to complete system compromise, data manipulation, or unauthorized access to sensitive medical information.
From an operational standpoint, the implications of this vulnerability are severe within healthcare environments where medical imaging systems contain sensitive patient data and operate critical diagnostic functions. The default root password provides attackers with unrestricted access to modify system configurations, alter imaging parameters, access patient records, or potentially disrupt medical procedures. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation, as attackers can leverage the default administrative credentials to establish persistent access. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access to include potential safety risks in medical imaging operations where system integrity is paramount.
The recommended mitigations include immediate credential rotation for all default administrative accounts, implementation of strong password policies, and regular security assessments of medical devices. Organizations should conduct comprehensive inventory audits of all medical imaging systems to identify affected devices and ensure that default credentials are changed during initial deployment. Network segmentation should be implemented to limit access to these critical systems, and continuous monitoring should be established to detect unauthorized access attempts. Additionally, regular security training for IT staff and compliance with healthcare security standards such as HIPAA and NIST guidelines should be enforced to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future deployments.