CVE-2017-5569 in Patient Portal
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in eClinicalWorks Patient Portal 7.0 build 13. This is a blind SQL injection within the template.jsp, which can be exploited without the need of authentication and via an HTTP POST request, and which can be used to dump database data out to a malicious server, using an out-of-band technique such as select_loadfile().
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-5569 represents a critical blind sql injection flaw within the eClinicalWorks Patient Portal version 7.0 build 13. This security weakness resides in the template.jsp component of the application, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit without requiring valid authentication credentials. The vulnerability's accessibility through simple http post requests makes it particularly dangerous as it lowers the barrier for exploitation and allows attackers to target the system from external networks without needing insider knowledge or legitimate user access.
The technical implementation of this blind sql injection vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the template.jsp file. When the application processes user-supplied data through post requests, it fails to properly escape or filter sql metacharacters, allowing malicious payloads to be interpreted as part of the sql query rather than as data. This flaw enables attackers to manipulate the underlying database queries through crafted input parameters, which can then be leveraged to extract sensitive information from the database through out-of-band techniques. The blind nature of this injection means that attackers cannot directly observe query results in the application response, requiring them to use alternative methods such as select_loadfile() to exfiltrate data through side channels.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform extensive database enumeration and information gathering operations. Through the out-of-band technique mentioned in the vulnerability description, attackers can extract database schema information, user credentials, patient records, and other sensitive data by constructing malicious sql queries that force the database to make external connections back to attacker-controlled servers. This type of attack can result in severe compliance violations for healthcare organizations, as patient health information is typically subject to strict regulatory requirements under hipaa and other data protection frameworks. The vulnerability's ability to operate without authentication makes it particularly attractive to threat actors who may be targeting healthcare systems for data exfiltration or further lateral movement within compromised networks.
Organizations utilizing eClinicalWorks Patient Portal 7.0 build 13 should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and sanitization of all user-supplied data, proper parameterization of sql queries, and network-level restrictions on unnecessary http post endpoints. The vulnerability aligns with common weakness enumeration cwe-89, which classifies sql injection flaws as critical security vulnerabilities requiring comprehensive remediation. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to multiple tactics within the attack chain including initial access through unauthenticated exploitation, privilege escalation through data exfiltration, and defense evasion through the use of out-of-band techniques to avoid detection. System administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls and database activity monitoring to detect and prevent exploitation attempts, while conducting thorough security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications within the healthcare organization's attack surface.