CVE-2023-4176 in Hospital Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 08/06/2023
A vulnerability was found in SourceCodester Hospital Management System 1.0. It has been classified as critical. This affects an unknown part of the file appointmentapproval.php. The manipulation of the argument time 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-236211.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/30/2023
The CVE-2023-4176 vulnerability represents a critical sql injection flaw within the SourceCodester Hospital Management System version 1.0, specifically affecting the appointmentapproval.php file. This vulnerability resides in the handling of the time parameter, which serves as an entry point for malicious sql commands. The flaw allows attackers to manipulate database queries through improper input validation, potentially compromising the entire system infrastructure. The vulnerability's classification as critical indicates severe impact potential, with the ability to execute arbitrary sql commands and access sensitive patient data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate parameter sanitization within the appointmentapproval.php script where user-supplied time values are directly incorporated into sql queries without proper escaping or parameterization. This primitive sql injection vector enables attackers to construct malicious sql payloads that can bypass authentication mechanisms, extract confidential medical records, modify patient information, or even delete database entries. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can leverage this flaw from external networks without requiring physical access to the system, making it particularly dangerous for healthcare environments that handle sensitive personal health information.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-4176 extends beyond simple data theft, as it can severely compromise patient care and healthcare delivery systems. Medical facilities using this vulnerable system face risks of data breaches that could expose patient medical histories, personal identifiers, and treatment information, potentially violating healthcare privacy regulations such as hipaa. The vulnerability's disclosure status increases the likelihood of exploitation by malicious actors, creating an immediate risk for healthcare organizations that have not yet patched their systems. Additionally, successful exploitation could lead to system downtime, operational disruption, and potential legal consequences for healthcare providers who fail to maintain adequate security controls.
Organizations utilizing the SourceCodester Hospital Management System should prioritize immediate remediation through official vendor patches or updates that address the sql injection vulnerability in appointmentapproval.php. Security measures should include implementing proper input validation, using parameterized queries, and applying web application firewalls to monitor for sql injection attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89 sql injection and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1190 for exploitation of remote services and T1071.3 for application layer protocol usage. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their healthcare information systems and implement network segmentation to limit potential attack surfaces while ensuring compliance with healthcare security standards and regulatory requirements.