CVE-2018-15718 in Open Dental
Summary
by MITRE
Open Dental before version 18.4 transmits the entire user database over the network when a remote unathenticated user accesses the command prompt. This allows the attacker to gain access to usernames, password hashes, privilege levels, and more.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-15718 affects Open Dental software versions prior to 18.4, presenting a critical security flaw in the application's network communication protocols. This weakness stems from the improper handling of authentication and data transmission mechanisms within the command prompt interface. When an unauthenticated remote user attempts to access the command prompt, the system fails to implement proper access controls or data sanitization measures, resulting in the inadvertent exposure of sensitive user database information.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a clear failure in the principle of least privilege and secure data transmission practices. The application's command prompt interface does not adequately validate user credentials or restrict access to sensitive database information. This flaw operates at the network protocol level where the system transmits complete user database records including usernames, password hashes, and privilege levels without proper encryption or authentication verification. The vulnerability represents a direct violation of security best practices and exposes the underlying architecture to unauthorized data access.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe risk landscape for organizations using affected Open Dental versions. Attackers can exploit this weakness to obtain comprehensive user credential information without requiring valid authentication, effectively bypassing traditional access control mechanisms. The exposure of password hashes particularly undermines the security posture since these credentials can be subjected to offline dictionary attacks or rainbow table attacks, potentially leading to full system compromise. The privilege level information further amplifies the risk as attackers can identify administrative accounts and prioritize their exploitation efforts.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and CWE-287 (Improper Authentication) categories, reflecting fundamental flaws in data protection and authentication implementation. From an attacker's perspective, this issue maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1046 (Network Service Scanning) as it enables unauthorized access to legitimate user credentials and facilitates further reconnaissance activities. The lack of proper access controls during command prompt access creates an attack surface that can be leveraged for privilege escalation and lateral movement within network environments.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Open Dental version 18.4 or later, which contains the necessary security patches to address this vulnerability. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit exposure of administrative interfaces. Additional protective measures include implementing network monitoring to detect unusual data transmission patterns and conducting regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities. The remediation process should also involve comprehensive credential rotation and security awareness training for system administrators to prevent exploitation of compromised credentials.