CVE-2026-124460
Received Received - Intake

Insecure Direct Object Reference in OpenEMR Exposes Patient PHI

Publication date: 2026-11-08

Last updated on: 2026-11-08

Assigner: VulnCheck

Description
OpenEMR before 8.3.0 contains an insecure direct object reference vulnerability in PortalPatientController::Read() that allows authenticated patients to read other patients' pending demographic change requests. Attackers can supply another patient's ID in the patientId query string parameter to retrieve PHI including names, addresses, SSNs, and insurance information.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-11-08
Last Modified
2026-11-08
Generated
2026-11-08
AI Q&A
2026-11-08
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-124460
EUVD
EUVD-2026-119517

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
openemr openemr to 8.3.0 (exc)

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Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-639 The system's authorization functionality does not prevent one user from gaining access to another user's data or record by modifying the key value identifying the data.

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Executive Summary

This is an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) vulnerability in OpenEMR versions before 8.3.0. It allows authenticated patients to read other patients' pending demographic change requests by manipulating the patientId query parameter. The PortalPatientController::Read() function fails to validate this parameter against the authenticated user's session, enabling unauthorized access to protected health information (PHI).

Detection Guidance

To detect this vulnerability, monitor HTTP requests to the OpenEMR patient portal for unusual patientId query parameters. Check for requests where the patientId parameter does not match the authenticated user's session ID. Use network traffic analysis tools like Wireshark or tcpdump to inspect GET requests to endpoints like /portal/patient/read or similar paths.

Impact Analysis

An attacker with access to the patient portal could exploit this to view another patient's sensitive data, including names, addresses, SSNs, insurance details, and other PHI. This could lead to identity theft, fraud, or privacy violations for affected patients.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability likely violates HIPAA due to unauthorized access to PHI. GDPR may also be impacted if EU patient data is exposed. Organizations using vulnerable OpenEMR versions could face legal penalties, fines, and reputational damage for non-compliance with data protection regulations.

Mitigation Strategies

Immediately upgrade OpenEMR to version 8.3.0 or later. As a temporary measure, restrict access to the patient portal to trusted IP ranges and disable the vulnerable PortalPatientController::Read() and PortalPatientController::Query() functions if an upgrade is not immediately possible.

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