CVE-2022-3956: Critical Vulnerability Discovered in tsruban HHIMS 2.1 - SQL Injection through Patient Portrait Handler

A critical security vulnerability, CVE-2022-3956, has been recently discovered in tsruban Hospital Health Information Management System (HHIMS) version 2.1. The affected component is the Patient Portrait Handler, which suffers from an SQL injection flaw due to improper handling of the PID argument. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely, potentially leading to unauthorized access of sensitive patient information, manipulation of data, and other malicious activities. Immediate patching is highly recommended to mitigate this threat.

Exploit Details

The vulnerability lies within an unknown function of the Patient Portrait Handler component in tsruban HHIMS 2.1. It is caused by insufficient input validation and parameterized queries when processing the PID (Patient ID) argument, allowing attackers to perform an SQL injection attack. This can lead to the manipulation of records or retrieval of sensitive patient data without proper authorization.

The SQL injection can be triggered remotely by a malicious user, making this issue even more dangerous. Here's a code snippet showcasing the improper handling of the PID argument leading to this SQL injection vulnerability:

function vulnerableFunction($pid) {
    $sql_query = "SELECT * FROM patients WHERE pid='" . $pid . "'";
    ...
}

As seen in the code above, the $pid variable is being concatenated directly into the SQL query without proper input validation or use of parameterized queries, allowing attackers to inject malicious SQL payloads.

References

- Original advisory
- Vulnerability Database (VDB) entry
- tsruban HHIMS GitHub repository

Mitigations and Recommendations

To address this security vulnerability, it is imperative to apply the patch as soon as it becomes available from the developers of tsruban HHIMS. In the meantime, users can take the following steps to mitigate the risk:

1. Ensure proper access controls and authentication mechanisms are in place to limit the ability of potential attackers to exploit this vulnerability.

2. Consider implementing input validation and parameterized queries at all instances where user-supplied data is incorporated into SQL queries, including the Patient Portrait Handler. For example:

function safeFunction($pid) {
    $stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT * FROM patients WHERE pid=?");
    $stmt->bind_param("i", $pid);
    ...
}

3. Monitor logs and audit trails for suspicious activity that could indicate attempts to exploit this vulnerability, such as unusual SQL queries or unexpected access to patient records.

Conclusion

CVE-2022-3956 is a critical vulnerability in tsruban HHIMS 2.1 that allows remote attackers to perform SQL injection attacks by exploiting a flaw in the Patient Portrait Handler component. Immediate patching and the implementation of proper security practices are essential to safeguard sensitive patient data and maintain the integrity of healthcare systems.

Timeline

Published on: 11/11/2022 16:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/16/2022 15:46:00 UTC