CVE-2020-27233
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands through the supplierUID parameter in OpenClinic GA's getAssets.jsp page. Successful exploitation could lead to data theft, modification, or deletion. Organizations running vulnerable versions of OpenClinic GA are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- OpenClinic GA
📦 What is this software?
Openclinic Ga by Openclinic Ga Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete database compromise including patient records, financial data, and administrative credentials, potentially leading to ransomware deployment or data destruction.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to sensitive patient data, modification of medical records, or extraction of database contents.
If Mitigated
Limited impact due to proper input validation, parameterized queries, and network segmentation preventing database access.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access but SQL injection is straightforward once authenticated. Public exploit details are available in the Talos report.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check OpenClinic GA vendor for specific patched version
Vendor Advisory: https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2020-1207
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check OpenClinic GA vendor website for security updates. 2. Apply the latest security patch. 3. Restart the application server. 4. Verify the fix by testing the vulnerable endpoint.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation Filter
allImplement server-side input validation to reject malicious SQL characters in supplierUID parameter
# Example for Apache mod_security
SecRule ARGS:supplierUID "@rx [;'\"\\]" "id:1001,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'SQLi attempt detected'"
Web Application Firewall
allDeploy WAF with SQL injection protection rules to block exploitation attempts
# Example for naxsi WAF rules
BasicRule wl:1000 "mz:$ARGS_VAR:supplierUID|$BODY_VAR_X:^supplierUID$";
MainRule "str:;" "msg:sql injection" "mz:ARGS|BODY" "s:$SQL:4" id:1001;
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict input validation and parameterized queries in the application code
- Deploy network segmentation to isolate the database server and restrict access to authorized applications only
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Test the getAssets.jsp endpoint with SQL injection payloads in the supplierUID parameter (e.g., supplierUID=1' OR '1'='1). Monitor for database errors or unexpected responses.Check Version:
Check OpenClinic GA administration interface or configuration files for version informationVerify Fix Applied:
Retest with SQL injection payloads after patching. Verify that input is properly sanitized and no SQL errors are returned.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual SQL error messages in application logs
- Multiple failed authentication attempts followed by SQL injection patterns
- GET/POST requests to getAssets.jsp with suspicious supplierUID parameters
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests containing SQL keywords (SELECT, UNION, etc.) in supplierUID parameter
- Unusual database query patterns from application server
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND uri="/getAssets.jsp" AND (supplierUID="*'*" OR supplierUID="*;*" OR supplierUID="*--*" OR supplierUID="*/*")