CVE-2021-42869 in Patient Management Software
Summary
by MITRE • 03/31/2022
A Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in Chikista Patient Management Software 2.0.2 via the last_name parameter in the (1) patient/insert, (2) patient_report, (3) /appointment_report, (4) visit_report, and (5) /bill_detail_report pages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/05/2022
The CVE-2021-42869 vulnerability represents a critical cross site scripting flaw within Chikista Patient Management Software version 2.0.2, exposing multiple web interfaces to malicious code injection attacks. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the software's patient management system, specifically targeting the last_name parameter across five distinct report and insertion pages. The affected endpoints include patient/insert, patient_report, appointment_report, visit_report, and bill_detail_report, creating multiple attack vectors for threat actors seeking to exploit this weakness. The vulnerability manifests when user-supplied data containing malicious script code is not properly escaped or validated before being rendered in web responses, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers.
This XSS vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration framework as CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross Site Scripting flaws in web applications. The flaw represents a classic reflected XSS attack vector where malicious input is immediately reflected back to users without proper sanitization, enabling threat actors to execute scripts in victims' browsers. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability affects core patient management functionality, including report generation and data insertion pages that likely contain sensitive medical information. The exploitation of this vulnerability could enable attackers to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform unauthorized actions within the application's context, potentially compromising the confidentiality and integrity of patient data.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-42869 extends beyond simple script execution, as it directly threatens the security posture of healthcare information systems that rely on Chikista Patient Management Software. Healthcare environments are particularly vulnerable to such attacks due to the sensitive nature of patient data and the regulatory requirements under frameworks like HIPAA, which mandate robust security controls to protect protected health information. The vulnerability's presence in multiple report generation pages means that any user with access to these interfaces could potentially be targeted, creating a widespread risk across the entire patient management ecosystem. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access to the system, monitor user activities, or escalate privileges to gain deeper system access, potentially leading to data breaches that compromise patient privacy and organizational compliance.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-42869 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all affected endpoints. The primary defense involves sanitizing all user inputs, particularly the last_name parameter, by implementing strict validation rules that reject or escape potentially dangerous characters such as angle brackets, quotes, and script tags. Security measures should include the implementation of Content Security Policy headers to prevent unauthorized script execution, proper HTML encoding of output data, and regular security testing including automated vulnerability scanning and manual penetration testing. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious requests targeting these specific parameters. Additionally, the software vendor should provide a timely patch update addressing the root cause of the vulnerability, and system administrators should conduct thorough security assessments to identify and remediate similar issues in other applications within the healthcare information system infrastructure. The remediation process should align with industry best practices outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework for web application security, particularly focusing on mitigating common attack patterns related to client-side code injection and session management vulnerabilities.