CVE-2022-25471
📋 TL;DR
An Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) vulnerability in OpenEMR 6.0.0 allows authenticated attackers to access and modify unauthorized system areas via crafted POST requests to the installer registration endpoint. This affects all OpenEMR 6.0.0 installations with authenticated users.
💻 Affected Systems
- OpenEMR
📦 What is this software?
Openemr by Open Emr
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise including unauthorized data access, privilege escalation, and potential remote code execution through installer manipulation.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to sensitive patient data, configuration modification, and potential installation of malicious components.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper authentication controls, but still risks unauthorized data access within authenticated sessions.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access but is straightforward via crafted POST requests to the vulnerable endpoint.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 6.0.0.1 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.open-emr.org/wiki/index.php/OpenEMR_Patches
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Backup your OpenEMR installation. 2. Download the latest patch from OpenEMR repository. 3. Apply the patch files to your installation. 4. Verify the /modules/zend_modules/public/Installer/register endpoint is properly secured.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Installer Endpoint
allBlock access to the vulnerable installer registration endpoint
# Apache: RewriteRule ^/modules/zend_modules/public/Installer/register - [F,L]
# Nginx: location ~ ^/modules/zend_modules/public/Installer/register { deny all; }
Restrict Access by IP
allLimit installer endpoint access to trusted administrative IPs only
# Apache: <Location /modules/zend_modules/public/Installer/register> Require ip 192.168.1.0/24 </Location>
# Nginx: location ~ ^/modules/zend_modules/public/Installer/register { allow 192.168.1.0/24; deny all; }
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls and monitoring for the installer endpoint
- Disable or remove the vulnerable installer module entirely
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Test authenticated POST requests to /modules/zend_modules/public/Installer/register endpoint for unauthorized accessCheck Version:
Check OpenEMR version in interface or via database: SELECT * FROM versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify the installer endpoint properly validates authorization and returns appropriate access denied responses📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple POST requests to /modules/zend_modules/public/Installer/register from non-admin users
- Unauthorized access attempts to installer functions
Network Indicators:
- Unusual POST traffic to installer endpoint from authenticated sessions
- Traffic patterns suggesting privilege escalation attempts
SIEM Query:
source="web_server" AND (url="/modules/zend_modules/public/Installer/register" AND method="POST") AND user!="admin"