CVE-2024-50593 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-798 (Use of Hard-coded Credentials) affecting HASOMED's Elefant software, a medical office application widely used in healthcare settings. The flaw arises because the Elefant service binary contains a hard-coded password labeled 'Hotline' that grants access to restricted service functions. An attacker who has local access to the medical office computer can leverage this password to bypass normal authentication controls and execute privileged operations within the Elefant service. This can lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive patient data, modification or deletion of medical records, and disruption of service availability. The vulnerability is rated with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8, reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with low attack complexity and requiring only local privileges without user interaction. The affected versions are all Elefant releases prior to 24.03.03. Although no public exploits have been reported, the presence of hard-coded credentials is a critical security weakness that could be exploited by insiders or attackers who gain local access through other means. The vulnerability underscores the risk of embedding static credentials in software, especially in sensitive environments like healthcare where data protection is paramount. The Elefant software is integral to medical office operations, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for healthcare providers relying on it for patient management and clinical workflows.

For European organizations, especially healthcare providers, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to patient data confidentiality and system integrity. Exploitation could allow unauthorized personnel to access or manipulate sensitive medical records, potentially leading to data breaches, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR violations), and harm to patient safety. The availability of critical medical office functions could also be disrupted, impacting healthcare delivery. Since the attack requires local access, the threat is heightened in environments with insufficient physical security or where insider threats exist. The breach of trust and potential legal consequences could be severe for affected institutions. Given the critical nature of healthcare data and the reliance on Elefant in various European countries, the vulnerability could have widespread operational and reputational impacts.

Organizations should immediately verify their Elefant software version and upgrade to version 24.03.03 or later once available. In the absence of an official patch, restrict physical and local access to medical office computers running Elefant to authorized personnel only. Implement strict access controls and monitoring on endpoints to detect and prevent unauthorized local logins. Conduct regular audits of user accounts and local system access logs. Consider deploying endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to identify suspicious activities related to the Elefant service. Educate staff about the risks of local access exploitation and enforce policies to minimize insider threats. Coordinate with HASOMED for timely updates and guidance. Additionally, review and harden the configuration of Elefant service binaries to remove or disable hard-coded credentials if possible through vendor support or custom remediation.