CVE-2024-47796 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer) found in the OFFIS DCMTK software version 3.6.8. DCMTK is a widely used open-source toolkit for handling DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) files, which are standard in medical imaging. The vulnerability arises from improper validation of array indices in the 'nowindow' functionality, which processes DICOM files. An attacker can craft a malicious DICOM file that exploits this improper validation to perform an out-of-bounds write operation in memory. This memory corruption can lead to arbitrary code execution, allowing an attacker to run malicious code within the context of the vulnerable application, or cause a denial of service by crashing the application. The CVSS v3.1 score of 8.4 reflects the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with low attack complexity, no privileges required, and no user interaction needed. The attack vector is local, meaning the attacker must have the ability to supply a malicious DICOM file to the system processing DCMTK. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the severity and nature of the vulnerability make it a critical concern for organizations relying on DCMTK for medical imaging workflows. The lack of available patches at the time of publication necessitates immediate attention to mitigation strategies to reduce risk.

For European organizations, particularly those in the healthcare sector, this vulnerability poses significant risks. Medical imaging systems that utilize DCMTK to process DICOM files could be compromised, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive patient data (confidentiality breach), manipulation or corruption of medical images and records (integrity breach), and disruption of imaging services (availability impact). Such disruptions could delay diagnoses and treatments, directly affecting patient care quality and safety. Additionally, exploitation could serve as a foothold for attackers to pivot within healthcare networks, potentially leading to broader compromises. The high severity and ease of exploitation without user interaction increase the urgency for European healthcare providers and associated IT vendors to address this vulnerability promptly. Non-healthcare sectors using DCMTK or integrating DICOM processing in their workflows may also be affected but to a lesser extent.

1. Monitor OFFIS and related security advisories closely for official patches or updates addressing CVE-2024-47796 and apply them immediately upon release. 2. Until patches are available, implement strict input validation and sanitization controls on all DICOM files entering the network, including those from external sources. 3. Restrict the sources of DICOM files to trusted and verified entities to reduce the risk of malicious file injection. 4. Employ application-level sandboxing or containerization for DCMTK processes to limit the impact of potential exploitation. 5. Use runtime memory protection technologies such as Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR), Data Execution Prevention (DEP), and Control Flow Guard (CFG) where supported. 6. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on medical imaging infrastructure. 7. Educate healthcare IT staff about this vulnerability and the importance of handling DICOM files securely. 8. Implement network segmentation to isolate medical imaging systems from broader enterprise networks to contain potential breaches.