CVE-2023-43208

NextGen Healthcare Mirth Connect before version 4.4.1 is vulnerable to unauthenticated remote code execution. Note that this vulnerability is caused by the incomplete patch of CVE-2023-37679.

Recent assessments:

cbeek-r7 at January 24, 2024 9:02am UTC reported:

CVE-2023-43208 is a significant security vulnerability in NextGen Healthcare’s Mirth Connect, a widely used open-source data integration platform in the healthcare sector. This vulnerability, identified as an unauthenticated remote code execution (RCE) issue, was addressed in Mirth Connect version 4.4.1, released on October 6, 2023.

The vulnerability is especially critical because it stems from an incomplete patch of a previous vulnerability, CVE-2023-37679. This previous issue was a similar RCE vulnerability, supposedly patched in Mirth Connect version 4.4.0. However, CVE-2023-43208 emerged due to the inadequate resolution of CVE-2023-37679, making it a patch bypass issue.

The technical specifics of CVE-2023-43208 relate to the insecure use of the Java XStream library for unmarshalling XML payloads. The vulnerability affects versions of Mirth Connect before 4.4.1 and is particularly alarming due to the ease of exploitation. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability for initial access or to compromise sensitive healthcare data.

The CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) score for CVE-2023-43208 is 9.8, categorizing it as a critical vulnerability.

In terms of available proofs of concept (PoCs) for exploiting this vulnerability, a POC script was included in Horizon’s write-up of this vulnerability: <https://www.horizon3.ai/writeup-for-cve-2023-43208-nextgen-mirth-connect-pre-auth-rce/&gt;

Given the severity and ease of exploitation of CVE-2023-43208, it is strongly recommended for organizations using Mirth Connect to update to version 4.4.1 or later to mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability. The critical nature of this vulnerability, combined with the sensitive environments in which Mirth Connect is typically deployed, underscores the importance of prompt and thorough patching efforts.

ccondon-r7 at January 27, 2024 7:41pm UTC reported:

CVE-2023-43208 is a significant security vulnerability in NextGen Healthcare’s Mirth Connect, a widely used open-source data integration platform in the healthcare sector. This vulnerability, identified as an unauthenticated remote code execution (RCE) issue, was addressed in Mirth Connect version 4.4.1, released on October 6, 2023.

The vulnerability is especially critical because it stems from an incomplete patch of a previous vulnerability, CVE-2023-37679. This previous issue was a similar RCE vulnerability, supposedly patched in Mirth Connect version 4.4.0. However, CVE-2023-43208 emerged due to the inadequate resolution of CVE-2023-37679, making it a patch bypass issue.

The technical specifics of CVE-2023-43208 relate to the insecure use of the Java XStream library for unmarshalling XML payloads. The vulnerability affects versions of Mirth Connect before 4.4.1 and is particularly alarming due to the ease of exploitation. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability for initial access or to compromise sensitive healthcare data.

The CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) score for CVE-2023-43208 is 9.8, categorizing it as a critical vulnerability.

In terms of available proofs of concept (PoCs) for exploiting this vulnerability, a POC script was included in Horizon’s write-up of this vulnerability: <https://www.horizon3.ai/writeup-for-cve-2023-43208-nextgen-mirth-connect-pre-auth-rce/&gt;

Given the severity and ease of exploitation of CVE-2023-43208, it is strongly recommended for organizations using Mirth Connect to update to version 4.4.1 or later to mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability. The critical nature of this vulnerability, combined with the sensitive environments in which Mirth Connect is typically deployed, underscores the importance of prompt and thorough patching efforts.

Assessed Attacker Value: 4
Assessed Attacker Value: 4Assessed Attacker Value: 5