CVE-2022-32344 in Hospitals Patient Records Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 06/14/2022
Hospital's Patient Records Management System v1.0 is vulnerable to SQL Injection via /hprms/classes/Master.php?f=delete_patient.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-32344 affects the Hospital's Patient Records Management System version 1.0, specifically targeting the delete_patient functionality within the Master.php file. This represents a critical security flaw that exposes sensitive patient data to unauthorized access and manipulation. The system's failure to properly validate and sanitize user input creates an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database infrastructure. The vulnerability is particularly concerning given the nature of healthcare data and the potential for severe privacy violations, data breaches, and regulatory compliance failures that could result from unauthorized access to patient records.
The technical implementation flaw stems from improper input validation within the parameter handling mechanism of the delete_patient function. When a user submits a request to delete a patient record through the specified endpoint, the system fails to adequately sanitize the input data before incorporating it into SQL query construction. This allows an attacker to inject malicious SQL payloads that can manipulate the database directly. The vulnerability is classified as a classic SQL injection attack vector where user-controllable parameters are directly concatenated into SQL statements without proper escaping or parameterization. According to CWE-89, this represents a well-documented weakness in database query construction that has been consistently exploited across various applications and systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to encompass potential system compromise and data integrity violations. An attacker could exploit this weakness to delete patient records, modify existing data, extract confidential medical information, or even gain elevated privileges within the system. The implications for healthcare organizations are severe as this vulnerability could lead to violations of HIPAA regulations, GDPR compliance issues, and significant financial penalties. The attack surface is particularly dangerous because it targets core functionality of the patient management system, potentially allowing adversaries to disrupt critical healthcare operations while simultaneously accessing sensitive personal health information.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries throughout the application codebase. The immediate fix requires implementing prepared statements or parameterized queries to ensure that user input cannot be interpreted as SQL commands. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input sanitization measures and employ proper access controls to limit the scope of potential damage. The implementation of web application firewalls and database activity monitoring solutions can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts. According to ATT&CK framework technique T1071.004, this vulnerability aligns with SQL injection attack patterns and should be addressed through defensive measures including proper query parameterization, input validation, and regular security assessments to prevent unauthorized access to critical healthcare data repositories.