CVE-2026-25124 Overview
CVE-2026-25124 is a Broken Access Control vulnerability in OpenEMR, a free and open source electronic health records (EHR) and medical practice management application. Prior to version 8.0.0, the OpenEMR application is vulnerable to an access control flaw that allows low-privileged users, such as receptionists, to export the entire message list containing sensitive patient and user data. The vulnerability lies in the message_list.php report export functionality, where there is no permission check before executing sensitive database queries. The only control in place is CSRF token verification, which does not prevent unauthorized data access if the token is acquired through other means.
Critical Impact
Low-privileged users can export sensitive patient health records and user data, potentially violating HIPAA compliance and exposing protected health information (PHI) to unauthorized personnel.
Affected Products
- OpenEMR versions prior to 8.0.0
- open-emr openemr
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-02-25 - CVE CVE-2026-25124 published to NVD
- 2026-02-25 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-25124
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability represents a classic Missing Authorization (CWE-862) flaw in healthcare software. The message_list.php report export functionality allows any authenticated user to execute database queries and export message data without proper role-based access control validation. While the application implements CSRF token verification to prevent cross-site request forgery attacks, this mechanism is insufficient as a sole access control measure. An authenticated low-privileged user, such as a receptionist, who legitimately possesses a valid session and CSRF token can exploit this flaw to access data far beyond their intended scope of access.
The vulnerability is particularly concerning in healthcare environments where OpenEMR is commonly deployed, as unauthorized access to patient messages could expose protected health information (PHI), potentially resulting in HIPAA violations and significant regulatory penalties.
Root Cause
The root cause of CVE-2026-25124 is the absence of role-based permission checks in the message_list.php report export functionality. The code executes sensitive database queries without verifying whether the requesting user has the appropriate privileges to access and export message data. The developers relied solely on CSRF token verification as a security control, which prevents external request forgery but does not address authorization for legitimate authenticated users.
Attack Vector
The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based and requires low privileges. An attacker with any authenticated access to the OpenEMR system (such as a receptionist account) can navigate to the message_list.php export functionality and request an export of the entire message list. Since no permission check is performed, the system returns all message data including sensitive patient and user information. The attack requires no user interaction beyond normal system access.
* @author Rod Roark <rod@sunsetsystems.com>
* @author Brady Miller <brady.g.miller@gmail.com>
* @author Stephen Waite <stephen.waite@cmsvt.com>
+ * @author Michael A. Smith <michael@opencoreemr.com>
* @copyright Copyright (c) 2005-2016 Rod Roark <rod@sunsetsystems.com>
* @copyright Copyright (c) 2017-2018 Brady Miller <brady.g.miller@gmail.com>
* @copyright Copyright (c) 2021 Stephen Waite <stephen.waite@cmsvt.com>
+ * @copyright Copyright (c) 2026 OpenCoreEMR Inc <https://opencoreemr.com/>
* @license https://github.com/openemr/openemr/blob/master/LICENSE GNU General Public License 3
*/
Source: GitHub Commit Change
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-25124
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual export activity from message_list.php by non-administrative users
- Access logs showing low-privileged accounts (e.g., receptionist roles) accessing report export functionality
- Bulk data export requests from user accounts that should not have report access
- Database query logs showing large-scale message table queries from unexpected user sessions
Detection Strategies
- Monitor OpenEMR access logs for requests to /interface/reports/message_list.php export functionality
- Implement role-based alerting for any export operations performed by non-administrative users
- Review audit logs for patterns of data access that exceed normal job function requirements
- Configure SIEM rules to detect unusual data export volumes from OpenEMR instances
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable detailed audit logging for all report export operations in OpenEMR
- Implement user behavior analytics to establish baselines and detect anomalous data access patterns
- Configure alerts for any export operations performed by accounts with receptionist or similar low-privilege roles
- Regularly review access control configurations to ensure principle of least privilege
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-25124
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade to OpenEMR version 8.0.0 or later immediately
- Audit all user accounts with system access and verify appropriate role assignments
- Review export logs to identify any potential unauthorized data access prior to patching
- Temporarily restrict access to the message_list.php export functionality if immediate patching is not possible
Patch Information
OpenEMR has released version 8.0.0 which addresses this vulnerability by implementing proper permission checks in the message_list.php report export functionality. The fix is available in commit ad902d6892482fff2e3c56bfb15597df8b6c3beb. Organizations should upgrade to the latest version as soon as possible.
For detailed patch information, refer to:
Workarounds
- Implement network-level access controls to restrict which users can reach report export functionality
- Configure web application firewall (WAF) rules to block unauthorized requests to message_list.php export endpoints
- Temporarily disable the message list export functionality until the patch can be applied
- Review and restrict user role assignments to minimize the number of accounts with system access
# Example: Restrict access to message_list.php export via .htaccess
# Add to OpenEMR's interface/reports/.htaccess
<Files "message_list.php">
# Allow only specific IP addresses or require additional authentication
# This is a temporary workaround - upgrade to 8.0.0 is recommended
Order deny,allow
Deny from all
Allow from 10.0.0.0/8
Allow from 192.168.0.0/16
</Files>
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
