CVE-2018-18705 in Hospital Management System
Summary
by MITRE
PhpTpoint hospital management system suffers from multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities via the index.php user parameter associated with LOGIN.php, or the rno parameter to ALIST.php, DUNDEL.php, PDEL.php, or PUNDEL.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/03/2023
The CVE-2018-18705 vulnerability affects the PhpTpoint hospital management system, a web-based application designed for healthcare institutions to manage patient records, appointments, and administrative tasks. This vulnerability manifests as multiple SQL injection flaws that compromise the system's database integrity and potentially expose sensitive patient information. The attack vectors involve specific parameters within the application's authentication and data deletion processes, making this a critical security concern for healthcare organizations relying on digital patient management systems.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the application's PHP scripts. When users interact with the system through the index.php login page, the user parameter fails to properly escape or filter user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries. Similarly, the rno parameter used in ALIST.php, DUNDEL.php, PDEL.php, and PUNDEL.php scripts does not implement proper parameter binding or input sanitization mechanisms. These vulnerabilities allow attackers to inject malicious SQL commands that bypass authentication mechanisms and manipulate database operations directly. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection weaknesses in software applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to encompass complete system compromise and potential patient safety risks. Attackers could exploit these injection points to bypass login screens, access unauthorized patient records, modify critical medical information, or even delete patient data entirely. In healthcare environments, such compromises could lead to serious consequences including medical errors due to tampered records, privacy violations under HIPAA regulations, and potential legal ramifications for healthcare providers. The vulnerability affects the entire patient management workflow from initial registration through treatment records and administrative functions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input validation and parameterized queries throughout the application. Organizations should implement prepared statements or parameterized queries to ensure that user input cannot alter the structure of SQL commands. Input sanitization measures including whitelisting of acceptable characters and length restrictions should be enforced on all parameters. The system should also implement proper authentication mechanisms with account lockout features and session management controls. Additionally, regular security auditing and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1190 (Exploit Public-Facing Application) and T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS) when attackers use these flaws to establish persistent access to healthcare systems.