CVE-2016-4328 in Perioperative Information Management System
Summary
by MITRE
MEDHOST Perioperative Information Management System (aka PIMS or VPIMS) before 2015R1 has hardcoded credentials, which makes it easier for remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via direct requests to the application database server.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/31/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-4328 affects the MEDHOST Perioperative Information Management System, commonly known as PIMS or VPIMS, specifically versions prior to 2015R1. This system serves as a critical component in healthcare environments for managing perioperative workflows and patient information during surgical procedures. The flaw represents a significant security weakness that directly impacts the confidentiality and integrity of medical data stored within the system's database infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the inclusion of hardcoded credentials within the application code or configuration files of the PIMS system. These hardcoded authentication tokens or passwords are embedded directly into the software during development rather than being dynamically generated or securely stored. This design flaw allows attackers who can access the application to directly extract these credentials through various means including code inspection, network traffic analysis, or reverse engineering of the application binaries. The presence of such hardcoded credentials fundamentally undermines the security model of the system by creating persistent authentication mechanisms that cannot be easily rotated or updated.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to the database server. Remote attackers who successfully exploit this weakness can gain direct access to sensitive patient information, surgical records, and other confidential medical data stored within the system. This creates substantial risk for healthcare organizations as it violates fundamental privacy protections required by regulations such as hipaa and other data protection frameworks. The vulnerability enables attackers to perform data exfiltration, modify patient records, or potentially disrupt surgical workflow management processes that depend on the integrity of the information system.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with several tactics described in the attack framework, particularly those involving credential access and privilege escalation. According to the mitre att&ck framework, this represents a technique for accessing credentials through hardcoded credentials or default credentials, which falls under the credential access category. The weakness also corresponds to cwe-798, which specifically addresses the use of hardcoded credentials in software applications. Organizations with affected systems face increased risk of data breaches and regulatory violations, as the hardcoded credentials provide attackers with persistent access that can remain undetected for extended periods.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the patched version of the PIMS system released after 2015R1, which addresses the hardcoded credential issue through proper credential management practices. Additionally, system administrators should conduct comprehensive audits of all applications to identify similar hardcoded credentials throughout their infrastructure. The implementation of proper credential management protocols, including the use of secure configuration management tools and regular credential rotation procedures, should be enforced. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit the attack surface, while continuous monitoring systems should be deployed to detect unauthorized database access attempts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to ensure that similar vulnerabilities are not present in other system components or third-party applications that may interact with the database infrastructure.