CVE-2018-7510 in TotalAlert Scroll Medical Air System
Summary
by MITRE
In the web application in BeaconMedaes TotalAlert Scroll Medical Air Systems running software versions prior to 4107600010.23, passwords are presented in plaintext in a file that is accessible without authentication.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/15/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-7510 represents a critical security flaw in the BeaconMedaes TotalAlert Scroll Medical Air Systems web application interface. This issue affects software versions prior to 4107600010.23 and exposes a fundamental weakness in how the system handles sensitive authentication credentials. The vulnerability stems from improper access controls and insecure configuration practices that allow unauthorized users to gain access to password information through unauthenticated file access mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the storage and presentation of plaintext passwords within a web-accessible file that lacks proper authentication requirements. This represents a severe deviation from established security best practices and demonstrates a lack of proper input validation and access control enforcement. The system fails to implement adequate authorization checks, allowing any user with network access to retrieve password information directly from the file system. This flaw directly aligns with CWE-200, which addresses information exposure through improper access control, and CWE-312, which covers cleartext storage of sensitive information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it fundamentally undermines the security posture of medical devices in healthcare environments. In the context of medical air systems, unauthorized access to authentication credentials could enable attackers to gain full control over critical life-support equipment, potentially leading to patient harm or death. The vulnerability creates an attack surface that allows threat actors to escalate privileges and access sensitive medical data, violating healthcare privacy regulations and exposing organizations to significant legal and financial consequences. This issue particularly affects the healthcare industry's adherence to regulations such as HIPAA, where unauthorized access to patient information constitutes serious compliance violations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-7510 must address both immediate remediation and long-term security architecture improvements. Organizations should immediately update affected systems to version 4107600010.23 or later, which includes proper authentication mechanisms and secure credential storage practices. The system configuration must be reviewed to ensure that no sensitive files are accessible through web directories without proper authentication checks. Network segmentation should be implemented to isolate medical devices from general network access, following ATT&CK technique T1046 for network service scanning and T1071 for application layer protocols. Additionally, organizations should implement regular security assessments, proper access control policies, and secure coding practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future system deployments. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that authentication mechanisms function correctly and that no other sensitive information is exposed through similar misconfigurations.