CVE-2026-25476
Published: 25 February 2026
Summary
CVE-2026-25476 is a high-severity Insufficient Session Expiration (CWE-613) vulnerability in Open-Emr Openemr. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Web Session Cookie (T1550.004); ranked at the 40.9th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 AC-12 (Session Termination) and SI-2 (Flaw Remediation).
Deeper analysis
CVE-2026-25476 is a session expiration bypass vulnerability in OpenEMR, a free and open source electronic health records and medical practice management application. Prior to version 8.0.0, the session expiration check in `library/auth.inc.php` is skipped when the `skip_timeout_reset=1` parameter is present in requests. This allows expired sessions to bypass `SessionTracker::isSessionExpired()` checks and avoid forced logouts, enabling indefinite access to protected data. The vulnerability is rated 7.5 on the CVSS v3.1 scale (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N) and maps to CWE-613 (Insufficient Session Expiration).
An attacker who obtains a valid session cookie—via methods such as theft from abandoned workstations, network interception, or prior compromises—can exploit this by including `skip_timeout_reset=1` in subsequent requests. This maintains session activity indefinitely, even after normal expiration, granting unauthorized access to sensitive patient data and medical records. Auto-refresh features like the Patient Flow Board naturally include this parameter, exacerbating risks from unattended sessions in clinical environments. No authentication is required beyond the stolen cookie, making it accessible over the network with low complexity.
The GitHub security advisory (GHSA-gx7q-6fhr-5h33) and fixing commit (02a6a7793402b10356a94626d78e0e1069e92a77) confirm that upgrading to OpenEMR version 8.0.0 resolves the issue by ensuring session checks always run regardless of the parameter. Practitioners should prioritize patching affected instances, monitor for anomalous session persistence, and implement strict session management controls like short timeouts and cookie security flags in the interim.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2026-8706
Vulnerability details
OpenEMR is a free and open source electronic health records and medical practice management application. Prior to version 8.0.0, the session expiration check in `library/auth.inc.php` runs only when `skip_timeout_reset` is not present in the request. When `skip_timeout_reset=1` is sent, the…
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entire block that calls `SessionTracker::isSessionExpired()` and forces logout on timeout is skipped. As a result, any request that includes this parameter (e.g. from auto-refresh pages like the Patient Flow Board) never runs the expiration check: expired sessions can continue to access data indefinitely, abandoned workstations stay active, and an attacker with a stolen session cookie can keep sending `skip_timeout_reset=1` to avoid being logged out. Version 8.0.0 fixes the issue.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
The session expiration bypass (via skip_timeout_reset=1) directly enables indefinite reuse of stolen/valid web session cookies for unauthorized access to the application, mapping to Use Alternate Authentication Material: Web Session Cookie.
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Mandates automatic termination of user sessions after defined inactivity periods or triggers, directly preventing the bypass of expiration checks via the skip_timeout_reset parameter.
Requires identification, reporting, and timely patching of software flaws like this session expiration bypass, enabling upgrade to the fixed OpenEMR version 8.0.0.
Enforces automatic device locking after inactivity to mitigate risks from abandoned workstations where sessions remain active due to auto-refresh features.