CVE-2018-5551 in QuicDoc
Summary
by MITRE
Versions of DocuTrac QuicDoc and Office Therapy that ship with DTISQLInstaller.exe version 1.6.4.0 and prior contain three credentials with known passwords: QDMaster, OTMaster, and sa.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-5551 represents a critical hard-coded credential issue affecting DocuTrac QuicDoc and Office Therapy software versions that include DTISQLInstaller.exe version 1.6.4.0 and earlier. This flaw constitutes a fundamental security weakness that directly violates multiple security best practices and industry standards. The presence of three well-known default credentials QDMaster, OTMaster, and sa with their corresponding known passwords creates an immediate and severe attack surface for malicious actors. According to CWE-798, this vulnerability falls under the category of using hardcoded credentials, which is explicitly identified as a high-risk security flaw in the Common Weakness Enumeration database. The vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 which covers legitimate credentials such as default passwords, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where these applications may be deployed across multiple systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from poor software development practices where developers embedded default administrative credentials directly into the application binaries during the development phase. These credentials are not only hardcoded but also use well-known account names that are frequently targeted in automated attacks and penetration testing scenarios. The QDMaster and OTMaster accounts appear to be application-specific administrative accounts while the sa account is the well-known SQL Server system administrator account that has been a target of exploitation for decades. This configuration creates a situation where any attacker with knowledge of these specific credential combinations can immediately gain administrative access to the underlying database systems. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the installation process itself, meaning that even legitimate users performing routine installations may inadvertently expose these credentials to potential attackers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple credential exposure, as it provides attackers with elevated privileges that can be leveraged for comprehensive system compromise. Once an attacker gains access through these hardcoded credentials, they can perform database enumeration, data exfiltration, privilege escalation, and potentially lateral movement within the network. The presence of the sa account specifically means that attackers could potentially access all databases on the SQL Server instance, modify or delete critical data, and even establish persistence mechanisms. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and creates a backdoor that bypasses normal authentication mechanisms. Organizations running these applications are essentially providing their systems with a pre-configured entry point that requires no additional reconnaissance or exploitation techniques to compromise. The vulnerability affects not just individual systems but can potentially impact entire enterprise networks if these applications are widely deployed across multiple servers and workstations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements to prevent similar issues in future deployments. Organizations should immediately update to versions of DocuTrac QuicDoc and Office Therapy that do not contain these hardcoded credentials, as this represents the most direct and effective solution. System administrators must conduct comprehensive inventory checks to identify all systems running affected software versions and ensure proper patching procedures are followed. The implementation of strong credential management policies should be enforced, including regular credential rotation and the use of dynamic credential generation rather than hardcoded values. According to industry standards such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001, organizations must implement proper access control mechanisms and credential management procedures to prevent unauthorized access. Additionally, network segmentation and database access controls should be implemented to limit the blast radius of potential credential compromise. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unauthorized access attempts using default credentials, and regular security audits should be conducted to ensure that no hardcoded credentials remain in production systems. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure software development lifecycle practices and the need for regular security code reviews to prevent such issues from being introduced into applications in the first place.