CVE-2022-24136 in Hospital Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 03/31/2022
Hospital Management System v1.0 is affected by an unrestricted upload of dangerous file type vulerability in treatmentrecord.php. To exploit, an attacker can upload any PHP file, and then execute it.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/02/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-24136 represents a critical security flaw in the Hospital Management System version 1.0 that exposes organizations to significant operational and data security risks. This weakness specifically manifests in the treatmentrecord.php component where the system fails to properly validate file uploads, creating an unrestricted file upload condition that can be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability directly violates fundamental security principles by allowing arbitrary file execution capabilities through the web application interface.
This vulnerability falls under the CWE-434 category of Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type, which is classified as a critical weakness in software security practices. The flaw enables attackers to bypass normal file validation mechanisms and upload malicious PHP files to the server, effectively granting them remote code execution capabilities within the target environment. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires no authentication or privileged access, making it accessible to any user with access to the treatmentrecord.php functionality. This represents a classic path to system compromise where initial access leads directly to full server control through the execution of arbitrary code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to encompass complete system compromise and potential patient data breaches. When an attacker successfully uploads a PHP shell or malicious script, they gain persistent access to the hospital's server infrastructure, potentially accessing sensitive patient records, medical histories, and other confidential information protected by healthcare regulations such as HIPAA. The attack can result in data exfiltration, system disruption, and establishment of backdoors for future access. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for lateral movement within the hospital network, as attackers can use the compromised system as a foothold to access other connected systems and databases.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-24136 must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. Organizations should implement strict file type validation and content verification mechanisms that reject any file attempting to upload with dangerous extensions or content. The system should enforce proper file upload restrictions including MIME type checking, file size limits, and removal of execute permissions from upload directories. Additionally, implementing proper input sanitization and output encoding practices can prevent attackers from exploiting this vulnerability. Security measures should also include regular security assessments, web application firewalls, and network segmentation to limit the potential impact of such compromises. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1505.003 for Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type, which emphasizes the importance of proper file validation in preventing web application exploitation. Organizations must also consider implementing automated security scanning tools and regular penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in their healthcare information systems.