CVE-2026-24849
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2026-24849 is an arbitrary file read vulnerability in OpenEMR's EtherFaxActions.php. Any authenticated user, regardless of privilege level, can exploit this to read sensitive files from the server filesystem. This affects all OpenEMR installations prior to version 7.0.4.
💻 Affected Systems
- OpenEMR
📦 What is this software?
Openemr by Open Emr
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could read sensitive configuration files, database credentials, patient health records, or other critical system files, potentially leading to full system compromise and data breach.
Likely Case
Authenticated users reading configuration files containing database credentials or sensitive application data, enabling further attacks.
If Mitigated
Limited to authenticated users only, with proper file permissions potentially restricting access to some sensitive files.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access but is straightforward once authenticated. The vulnerability is in a specific method that improperly handles file paths.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 7.0.4
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/openemr/openemr/security/advisories/GHSA-w6vc-hx2x-48pc
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Backup your OpenEMR installation and database. 2. Download OpenEMR version 7.0.4 or later from the official repository. 3. Replace the vulnerable EtherFaxActions.php file with the patched version. 4. Verify the fix by checking the file modification.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict access to EtherFaxActions.php
allTemporarily block or restrict access to the vulnerable file via web server configuration.
# For Apache: Add to .htaccess or virtual host config
<Files "EtherFaxActions.php">
Order deny,allow
Deny from all
</Files>
# For Nginx: Add to server block
location ~* /EtherFaxActions\.php$ {
deny all;
return 403;
}
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls and monitor for suspicious file read attempts from authenticated users.
- Apply principle of least privilege to all user accounts and regularly audit user activities.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if your OpenEMR version is below 7.0.4 by examining the version file or checking the application interface.Check Version:
grep -r '\$v\s*=' /path/to/openemr/interface/login/login.php 2>/dev/null | head -1Verify Fix Applied:
Verify that the EtherFaxActions.php file has been updated to version 7.0.4 or later by checking the file's modification date or comparing with the patched version from GitHub.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file access patterns to EtherFaxActions.php
- Multiple failed or successful file read attempts from authenticated users
- Access to sensitive file paths in application logs
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to EtherFaxActions.php with file path parameters
- Unusual outbound data transfers following file read requests
SIEM Query:
source="web_server_logs" AND (uri="*EtherFaxActions.php*" AND (param="*../*" OR param="*file=*"))