HIGH CVSS 7.8
Published: 2001-12-31

CVE-2001-1546

mckesson pathways_homecare Security Advisory (CVE-2001-1546)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2001-1546 impacting mckesson pathways_homecare. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 7.8 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
Pathways Homecare 6.5 uses weak encryption for user names and passwords, which allows local users to gain privileges by recovering the passwords from the pwhc.ini file.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local (AV:L)
Requires local system execution permissions
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
Low (PR:L)
Standard user access required
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product mckesson / pathways_homecare
Affected Versions 6.5
Weakness Enumeration CWE-326

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2001-1546 impacting mckesson pathways_homecare.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2001-1546.yaml
id: cve-2001-1546

info:
  name: mckesson pathways_homecare - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2001-1546 affecting mckesson pathways_homecare.
    Evaluation: Pathways Homecare 6.5 uses weak encryption for user names and passwords, which allows local users to gain privileges by recovering the passwords from ...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2001-1546
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 7.8
    cve-id: CVE-2001-1546
    cwe-id: CWE-326
  tags: cve,cve-2001-1546,mckesson,pathways_homecare,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "pathways_homecare"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2001-1546.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2001-1546
# Target: mckesson pathways_homecare | CVSS: 7.8 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2001-1546 (mckesson pathways_homecare)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against mckesson pathways_homecare scope (6.5).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2001-1546.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2001-1546
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install pathways_homecare 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade pathways_homecare 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update pathways_homecare

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i pathways_homecare 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i pathways_homecare

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2001-1546 in mckesson pathways_homecare?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update mckesson pathways_homecare packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2001-1546?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2001-1546?

CVE-2001-1546 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 7.8 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
7.8
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2001-1546
Weakness CWE-326
Vendor mckesson
Product pathways_homecare
Published 2001-12-31
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H