CVE-2023-1253 in Health Center Patient Record Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 03/07/2023
A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, was found in SourceCodester Health Center Patient Record Management System 1.0. This affects an unknown part of the file login.php. The manipulation of the argument username leads to sql injection. It is possible to initiate the attack remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The associated identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-222483.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/01/2023
This critical vulnerability exists within the SourceCodester Health Center Patient Record Management System version 1.0, specifically affecting the login.php file through improper input validation mechanisms. The flaw represents a classic sql injection vulnerability that allows attackers to manipulate the username parameter and execute arbitrary sql commands against the underlying database. The vulnerability's classification as critical indicates severe impact potential with remote exploitation capabilities, making it particularly dangerous for healthcare systems that handle sensitive patient data. The disclosure of the exploit to the public community significantly increases the risk of widespread exploitation, as malicious actors can readily implement the attack without requiring advanced technical skills.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user inputs within the authentication process. When the username parameter is submitted through the login.php interface, the application fails to properly escape or validate special sql characters, allowing attackers to inject malicious sql payloads. This flaw aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses sql injection vulnerabilities in software applications. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not require physical access to the system, enabling them to target the application from any network location where it is accessible. This characteristic places the vulnerability within the ATT&CK framework's initial access and execution phases, where adversaries establish footholds and execute malicious code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable complete database compromise and unauthorized access to patient records. Healthcare organizations utilizing this system face significant regulatory and compliance risks, particularly under HIPAA requirements that mandate protection of patient health information. Attackers could potentially extract sensitive patient data, modify medical records, or even delete critical information, disrupting healthcare operations and potentially endangering patient safety. The vulnerability's exposure through public disclosure increases the probability of exploitation, as threat actors can immediately deploy automated scanning tools to identify systems running the vulnerable software version.
Organizations must implement immediate mitigations to protect against this vulnerability, including applying the latest security patches provided by the vendor or implementing proper input validation measures. The recommended approach involves implementing prepared statements or parameterized queries to prevent sql injection attacks, alongside comprehensive input sanitization and output encoding. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be configured to limit access to the vulnerable application, while monitoring systems should be deployed to detect suspicious login attempts or sql injection patterns. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify other potential sql injection vulnerabilities within their healthcare information systems and ensure compliance with industry standards such as NIST cybersecurity frameworks and healthcare-specific regulations governing patient data protection.