Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
OpenClinic GA 5.173.3 has an authenticated SQL injection flaw in the patient list page. A logged-in attacker could misuse the vulnerable findDistrict input to cause limited database confidentiality or integrity impact. The source bundle does not show confirmed active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat as a moderate-priority healthcare application issue. It requires authentication, but the affected page relates to patient workflows and SQL injection can create data exposure or tampering risk. Prioritize exposed or shared-user deployments first.
Technical view
CVE-2020-27231 is CWE-89 SQL injection in patientslist.do, specifically the findDistrict parameter, in OpenClinic GA 5.173.3. CVSS v3.0 is 6.4: network reachable, low complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, changed scope, low confidentiality and integrity impact, no availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to organizations running OpenClinic GA 5.173.3 where authenticated users can reach patientslist.do. Risk increases if the application is internet-facing, broadly accessible by low-privileged users, or tied to sensitive clinical records.
Exploitation context
The CVE states an authenticated HTTP request can trigger the issue. The provided data says KEV is false and gives no evidence of active exploitation, public weaponization, or unauthenticated exploitation.
Researcher notes
Evidence is narrow but consistent: authenticated SQL injection in one named parameter and page. Do not assume broader OpenClinic GA versions, unauthenticated reachability, active exploitation, or a specific fixed release unless confirmed by vendor or Talos materials.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory OpenClinic GA deployments and identify any running version 5.173.3.
- Review OpenClinic GA and Talos guidance; apply vendor-supported fixes if available.
- Restrict access to authenticated clinical users and remove unnecessary external exposure.
- Apply least-privilege permissions to the application database account.
- Monitor web and database logs for suspicious patientslist.do activity.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether OpenClinic GA 5.173.3 is deployed in any environment.
- Check whether authenticated users can access patientslist.do.
- Review application logs for unusual findDistrict parameter activity.
- Verify database privileges limit unnecessary read or write access.
- Document patch status or compensating controls for each affected instance.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-89: Database access and collection lookup
Injection into data stores can inform collection, data access, and exfiltration detection reviews. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupDatabase behavior lookup
The CVE wording references database injection or access, so collection and exfiltration review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2020-27231 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.4 (3.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N3.12.7Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.0 score
6.4MediumVector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2020-1205CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.