CVE-2023-22974
Published: 22 February 2023
Summary
CVE-2023-22974 is a high-severity Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties (CWE-552) vulnerability in Open-Emr Openemr. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).
Operationally, ranked in the top 10.7% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
Deeper analysis
CVE-2023-22974 is a path traversal vulnerability in setup.php within OpenEMR versions prior to 7.0.0. The flaw resides in the application's database setup routine and is tracked under CWE-552, carrying a CVSS 3.1 score of 7.5 that reflects network-accessible exploitation without authentication or user interaction.
An unauthenticated remote attacker who can force the OpenEMR installer to connect to a MySQL server under their control can supply crafted responses that traverse the file system, resulting in disclosure of arbitrary files on the target host.
The referenced OpenEMR patch documentation for version 7.0.0 addresses the issue, while the SonarSource analysis provides additional technical context on the setup flow.
EPSS for the CVE remains low, with a current score of 0.0447 after a modest peak of 0.0630.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-27074
Vulnerability details
A Path Traversal in setup.php in OpenEMR < 7.0.0 allows remote unauthenticated users to read arbitrary files by controlling a connection to an attacker-controlled MySQL server.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
No named actor attribution yet. ATT&CK technique mapping in progress for this CVE.
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Controls on authorized publication limit files and directories with nonpublic data from becoming accessible to external parties.
Controlling and documenting P2P file sharing prevents files and directories from being made accessible to external parties for unauthorized distribution.
Identifying and documenting file and directory locations allows restriction of access to external parties.
Protecting backup files ensures they are not accessible to external parties or unauthorized spheres.
Sanitizing equipment before off-site maintenance reduces the risk of files or directories containing sensitive data becoming accessible to external parties.
Policy restricts media access to authorized parties only, preventing exposure of resources to external or unauthorized actors.
Media access restrictions prevent files or directories from being accessible to external parties.
Employing and evaluating controls at documented alternate sites makes files and directories less likely to be accessible to external parties through physical or environmental weaknesses.