CVE-2022-24643 in Hospital Information Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 03/26/2022
A stored cross-site scripting (XSS) issue was discovered in the OpenEMR Hospital Information Management System version 6.0.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2022
The vulnerability CVE-2022-24643 represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw within the OpenEMR Hospital Information Management System version 6.0.0, exposing healthcare organizations to significant cybersecurity risks. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, where malicious scripts are injected into web applications and then executed in the context of other users' browsers. The OpenEMR system, widely deployed in healthcare facilities for managing patient records and medical information, becomes a prime target for attackers seeking to exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to sensitive patient data or disrupt critical healthcare operations.
The technical implementation of this stored XSS vulnerability occurs when the application fails to properly sanitize user input before storing and subsequently rendering it within web pages. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that get stored in the system's database or application storage mechanisms, and then executed whenever other users view the affected content. This particular flaw allows threat actors to inject malicious JavaScript code through various input fields within the OpenEMR interface, including patient records, appointment entries, or administrative notes. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious code persists and executes automatically for any user who accesses the compromised data, making it particularly dangerous in healthcare environments where multiple users frequently access shared patient information systems.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-24643 extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities within the healthcare network. Threat actors could potentially steal patient health information, manipulate medical records, or redirect users to phishing sites designed to capture additional credentials. The vulnerability could also facilitate more sophisticated attacks such as session hijacking or privilege escalation, where attackers leverage the XSS payload to gain elevated access within the healthcare information system. Given that OpenEMR systems often contain highly sensitive patient data including medical histories, treatment plans, and personal identifiers, the potential for data breaches and privacy violations is substantial. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that healthcare organizations typically have limited security resources and may not always maintain up-to-date security patches, making such vulnerabilities particularly attractive targets for cybercriminals.
Organizations utilizing OpenEMR version 6.0.0 should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of vendor-provided security patches and updates. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent malicious scripts from being stored or executed within the application. Security teams should implement web application firewalls and content security policies to add additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments and penetration testing of healthcare information systems are essential to identify and address potential weaknesses before they can be exploited by threat actors. The vulnerability also highlights the critical importance of maintaining current security practices and ensuring that all healthcare applications undergo regular security reviews, particularly given the sensitive nature of healthcare data and the increasing sophistication of cyber threats targeting the healthcare sector. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes social engineering tactics including phishing and spearphishing, as attackers could leverage the XSS vulnerability to redirect users to malicious sites or harvest credentials from authenticated sessions within the healthcare environment.