CVE-2017-16776 in Conserus Workflow Intelligence
Summary
by MITRE
Security researchers discovered an authentication bypass vulnerability in version 2.0.2 of the Conserus Workflow Intelligence application by McKesson Medical Imaging Company, which is now a Change Healthcare company. The attacker must send a malicious HTTP GET request to exploit the vulnerability. The vulnerability allows an attacker to bypass authentication and escalate privileges of valid users. An unauthenticated attacker can exploit the vulnerability and be granted limited access to other accounts. An authenticated attacker can exploit the vulnerability and be granted access reserved for higher privilege users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/15/2019
The CVE-2017-16776 vulnerability represents a critical authentication bypass flaw in the Conserus Workflow Intelligence application developed by McKesson Medical Imaging Company, now part of Change Healthcare. This vulnerability exists in version 2.0.2 of the software and demonstrates a fundamental weakness in the application's access control mechanisms. The flaw allows attackers to circumvent the standard authentication process through specifically crafted HTTP GET requests, fundamentally undermining the security posture of the medical imaging workflow system. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables privilege escalation that can compromise the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive healthcare data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and inadequate session management within the application's authentication framework. Attackers can exploit this weakness by sending malicious HTTP GET requests that manipulate the application's internal state or parameter handling mechanisms. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues in software systems. The flaw specifically affects how the application processes authentication tokens or session identifiers, allowing an attacker to either impersonate legitimate users or escalate privileges of existing authenticated sessions. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical skill and can be accomplished through standard web application attack vectors, making it particularly dangerous in healthcare environments where sensitive patient data is routinely processed.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-16776 extends significantly beyond simple unauthorized access to the application. An unauthenticated attacker can gain limited access to other user accounts, potentially compromising multiple patient records and medical workflows. This creates a substantial risk for healthcare organizations that rely on the Conserus platform for critical medical imaging processes. Authenticated attackers can leverage this vulnerability to access higher privilege user accounts, potentially gaining administrative control over the entire workflow system. The implications are particularly severe given that the application handles sensitive medical information and workflow processes that are critical to patient care delivery. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation techniques, demonstrating how attackers can use legitimate access to gain broader system control.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-16776 must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. Organizations should prioritize applying the vendor-provided security patches or upgrading to versions that contain fixes for this authentication bypass vulnerability. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional layers of defense by monitoring for suspicious HTTP GET request patterns. Implementing proper input validation, session management, and authentication token handling mechanisms should be prioritized in any security hardening efforts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other healthcare applications and systems. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining current security practices and ensuring that all medical imaging and workflow systems receive timely security updates to prevent exploitation by threat actors targeting healthcare organizations.