CVE-2018-8861 in Brilliance CT
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerabilities within the Philips Brilliance CT kiosk environment (Brilliance 64 version 2.6.2 and prior, Brilliance iCT versions 4.1.6 and prior, Brillance iCT SP versions 3.2.4 and prior, and Brilliance CT Big Bore 2.3.5 and prior) could enable a limited-access kiosk user or an unauthorized attacker to break-out from the containment of the kiosk environment, attain elevated privileges from the underlying Windows OS, and access unauthorized resources from the operating system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-8861 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within Philips Brilliance CT kiosk systems that operate on Windows OS platforms. This security weakness affects multiple versions of Philips CT imaging equipment including Brilliance 64, Brilliance iCT, Brilliance iCT SP, and Brilliance CT Big Bore systems. The vulnerability stems from insufficient sandboxing and access control mechanisms within the kiosk environment, creating a pathway for malicious actors to bypass intended security boundaries. The affected systems utilize proprietary kiosk software that runs on top of Windows operating systems, creating a complex attack surface where the kiosk environment should provide isolation but fails to maintain proper security boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows an attacker with limited kiosk access or an unauthorized user to exploit weaknesses in the system's privilege management and process isolation. The flaw enables what is known as a privilege escalation attack, where a user can elevate their access rights from standard kiosk user level to administrative privileges within the underlying Windows OS. This occurs through a combination of inadequate input validation, insufficient privilege separation, and potentially flawed service account management within the kiosk environment. The vulnerability specifically affects the Windows OS layer that supports the medical imaging applications, allowing attackers to access system resources that should remain restricted to authorized personnel only.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant within healthcare environments where medical imaging systems are critical infrastructure components. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain access to sensitive patient data, modify imaging configurations, or potentially disrupt critical medical procedures. The privilege escalation capability allows for persistent access to the system, enabling long-term surveillance or data exfiltration without detection. This vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of medical imaging data, potentially compromising patient privacy and healthcare delivery operations. The attack vector typically involves exploiting weaknesses in the kiosk application's execution environment or through manipulation of system processes that should be isolated from user interaction.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-8861 should focus on immediate patching of affected systems with the latest Philips software updates and security patches. Organizations must implement proper network segmentation to isolate medical imaging equipment from general network access, reducing the attack surface available to potential attackers. The implementation of principle of least privilege access controls and mandatory access controls should be enforced within the kiosk environment to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation. System administrators should conduct regular security audits of kiosk configurations and implement monitoring solutions to detect anomalous access patterns or privilege changes. Additionally, the vulnerability aligns with CWE-276 which describes inadequate privilege management, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers privilege escalation through local exploits. Organizations should also consider implementing endpoint detection and response solutions to monitor for suspicious activities that may indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patches in controlled environments before deployment to ensure that critical medical imaging operations remain functional while addressing the security vulnerability.