CVE-2018-4845 in RAPIDLab 1200
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability has been identified in RAPIDLab 1200 systems / RAPIDPoint 400 systems / RAPIDPoint 500 systems (All versions_without_ use of Siemens Healthineers Informatics products), RAPIDLab 1200 Series (All versions < V3.3 _with_ Siemens Healthineers Informatics products), RAPIDPoint 500 systems (All versions >= V3.0 _with_ Siemens Healthineers Informatics products), RAPIDPoint 500 systems (V2.4.X_with_ Siemens Healthineers Informatics products), RAPIDPoint 500 systems (All versions =< V2.3 _with_ Siemens Healthineers Informatics products), RAPIDPoint 400 systems (All versions _with_ Siemens Healthineers Informatics products). Remote attackers with either local or remote credentialed access to the "Remote View" feature might be able to elevate their privileges, compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system. No special skills or user interaction are required to perform this attack. At the time of advisory publication, no public exploitation of this security vulnerability is known. Siemens Healthineers confirms the security vulnerability and provides mitigations to resolve the security issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/29/2023
This vulnerability exists within Siemens Healthineers RAPIDLab and RAPIDPoint laboratory automation systems, specifically affecting multiple series and software versions that do not utilize Siemens Healthineers Informatics products or those that do utilize them under specific version conditions. The flaw resides in the Remote View feature implementation, which allows unauthorized privilege escalation when accessed by attackers who already possess either local or remote authenticated credentials. This represents a critical security weakness that undermines the fundamental security model of these medical laboratory systems.
The technical nature of this vulnerability can be categorized under CWE-269, which describes "Improper Privilege Management" in software systems. The flaw enables attackers to escalate their privileges from standard user level to administrative access without requiring additional specialized skills or user interaction, making it particularly dangerous for healthcare environments where system integrity and patient data protection are paramount. The vulnerability affects systems that use the Remote View functionality, which typically provides remote access capabilities for system monitoring and management purposes.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability compromises the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of laboratory information systems that process sensitive patient data and clinical test results. The ability to elevate privileges remotely without additional authentication requirements means that an attacker who gains initial access through legitimate means could potentially access all system functions, modify critical test results, or disrupt laboratory operations. This affects healthcare delivery systems where accurate and timely diagnostic information is essential for patient care, creating potential risks for patient safety and regulatory compliance.
The attack vector requires only existing authenticated access to the Remote View feature, which means that even a compromised user account could be leveraged to achieve full system compromise. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" and represents a common attack pattern in enterprise environments where initial access is often gained through credential compromise or insider threats. The vulnerability affects multiple system versions and configurations, indicating a systemic issue in the privilege management implementation rather than a single point of failure.
Organizations should immediately implement the mitigations provided by Siemens Healthineers, which typically include software updates and patches to address the privilege escalation mechanism. System administrators should also review and tighten access controls for the Remote View feature, implement network segmentation to limit access to these critical systems, and monitor for suspicious authentication patterns. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar privilege management weaknesses in other healthcare information systems that may be similarly affected by such vulnerabilities in the medical device ecosystem.