CVE-2023-2947 in OpenEMR
Summary
by MITRE • 05/28/2023
Cross-site Scripting (XSS) - Stored in GitHub repository openemr/openemr prior to 7.0.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/21/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-2947 represents a stored cross-site scripting flaw within the openemr healthcare management system repository. This issue affects versions prior to 7.0.1 and specifically impacts the web application's handling of user input data. The vulnerability allows malicious actors to inject persistent malicious scripts into the application's database, which then executes in the context of other users' browsers when they access affected pages. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that the malicious payload remains active in the system until explicitly removed, making it particularly dangerous for healthcare environments where sensitive patient data is processed.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the application's data handling mechanisms. When users submit data through various forms or interfaces within the openemr system, the application fails to properly sanitize or encode user-supplied content before storing it in the database. This allows attackers to embed malicious javascript code within fields that are later rendered back to other users without proper security measures. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. The flaw demonstrates a classic case of insufficient data sanitization where user inputs are directly stored and reflected without appropriate encoding or validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability in healthcare environments is particularly severe given the sensitive nature of patient data handled by openemr systems. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially execute malicious scripts that steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or even modify patient records. The stored nature of the attack means that the malicious code persists across multiple user sessions, allowing for extended periods of unauthorized access or data manipulation. This vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of healthcare information systems, potentially compromising patient privacy and violating healthcare compliance requirements such as HIPAA regulations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching to version 7.0.1 or later where the XSS protection mechanisms have been properly implemented. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation at multiple layers including client-side and server-side validation, proper output encoding for all user-supplied data, and regular security scanning of web applications. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against XSS attacks by restricting script execution. Security teams should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify similar issues within their healthcare information systems. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering through malicious content delivery, and T1059 which addresses command and scripting interpreters used for code execution in web environments.