CVE-2026-25127: OpenEMR Information Disclosure Vulnerability

CVE-2026-25127 Overview

CVE-2026-25127 is an Improper Authorization vulnerability (CWE-863) affecting OpenEMR, a free and open source electronic health records (EHR) and medical practice management application. Prior to version 8.0.0, the server does not properly validate user permissions, allowing unauthorized users to view sensitive information belonging to authorized users. This vulnerability poses significant risks to healthcare organizations due to the sensitive nature of patient health records and medical data.

Critical Impact

Unauthorized users can access sensitive medical records and user information, potentially violating HIPAA compliance and exposing protected health information (PHI).

Affected Products

• OpenEMR versions prior to 8.0.0
• open-emr openemr (all versions below the patched release)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-25 - CVE-2026-25127 published to NVD
• 2026-02-25 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-25127

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from improper authorization controls within OpenEMR's user permission validation system. The application fails to adequately verify whether a user has the appropriate privileges before granting access to sensitive resources, allowing lower-privileged or unauthorized users to view data belonging to authorized users.

The vulnerability is exploitable over the network and requires low privileges to exploit, though some preparation is needed by the attacker. Successful exploitation results in high confidentiality impact, potentially exposing sensitive patient health records, user credentials, and other protected information. The vulnerability does not allow modification or deletion of data, but the information disclosure alone represents a severe breach in healthcare environments subject to regulatory compliance requirements.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2026-25127 is insufficient permission validation in OpenEMR's access control mechanisms (CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization). The application does not properly verify user authorization before allowing access to protected resources, enabling horizontal privilege escalation where users can access data belonging to other users at the same or higher privilege level.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring an authenticated user with low privileges to exploit the vulnerability. An attacker with valid credentials to the OpenEMR system can bypass authorization checks to access information belonging to other users, including potentially privileged administrators or clinical staff with access to sensitive patient records.

The patch addresses this issue in the interface/reports/message_list.php file by implementing proper authorization checks:

  * @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 Update

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-25127

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual access patterns to user information or patient records from low-privileged accounts
• Audit log entries showing users accessing records they should not have permission to view
• Anomalous API requests targeting user information endpoints from unauthorized sessions
• Multiple requests to report generation functions like message_list.php from single sessions

Detection Strategies

• Implement comprehensive audit logging for all user data access attempts and review logs for unauthorized access patterns
• Deploy web application firewalls (WAF) to monitor and alert on suspicious access patterns to sensitive OpenEMR endpoints
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) to monitor for horizontal privilege escalation attempts
• Perform regular access control audits to identify any unauthorized data access

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed OpenEMR audit logging and forward logs to a SIEM for centralized analysis
• Monitor authentication and authorization events for anomalous user behavior
• Set up alerts for access to sensitive patient data from accounts that typically do not require such access
• Review web server access logs for unusual patterns targeting report and user management functions

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-25127

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade OpenEMR to version 8.0.0 or later immediately
• Review audit logs for any evidence of exploitation prior to patching
• Assess potential data exposure and determine notification requirements under HIPAA and applicable regulations
• Implement additional access controls and monitoring until the patch can be applied

Patch Information

OpenEMR version 8.0.0 resolves this vulnerability by implementing proper user permission validation. The fix is available in commit ad902d6892482fff2e3c56bfb15597df8b6c3beb. Organizations should reference the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-69cv-rv28-4g85 for complete details.

Workarounds

• Restrict network access to OpenEMR to trusted networks only using firewall rules
• Implement additional authentication layers such as VPN or multi-factor authentication for remote access
• Temporarily disable or restrict access to the affected report functionality until patching is complete
• Enhance monitoring and alerting for all user data access attempts

# Example: Restrict access to OpenEMR via Apache configuration
<Directory /var/www/openemr/interface/reports>
    # Temporarily restrict access to reports directory
    Require ip 192.168.1.0/24
    # Or require specific authorized users
    Require user admin clinical_staff
</Directory>