Medical device hack attacks may kill, researchers warn (BBC News)

[Posted April 11, 2012 by jake]

GNOME foundation executive director Karen Sandler makes an appearance in a BBC News article about the security risks of medical implants:

That ideological bent meant she [Sandler] was keen to find out about the computer code running on any device that might be inserted in her body.

Unfortunately, she told the BBC, the implant's maker would not reveal its software. Its reassurances about the code's integrity did not help.

"Knowing what I know about software I'm sure it'll have bugs," she said.

Ms Sandler was also worried about the fact that increasing numbers of implants broadcast information all the time. That wireless link was a step too far for her.

LWN has covered several talks (1, 2) that Sandler has given on this topic as well.

to post comments

Medical device hack attacks may kill, researchers warn (BBC News)

Posted Apr 11, 2012 19:28 UTC (Wed) by Ben_P (guest, #74247) [Link] (5 responses)

Is it correct to assume that control messages to these devices are not signed?

Similar to other medical documents some people carry on their person, would it be reasonable to ask those with these implants to also carry around the key to sign implant instructions?

Medical device hack attacks may kill, researchers warn (BBC News)

Posted Apr 11, 2012 20:10 UTC (Wed) by scientes (guest, #83068) [Link] (4 responses)

> would it be reasonable to ask those with these implants to also carry around the key to sign implant instructions?

that would certainly be the best, so that the patient has the power over the signing key, rather than the manufacture or someone else besides the patient.

Medical device hack attacks may kill, researchers warn (BBC News)

Posted Apr 12, 2012 0:01 UTC (Thu) by JoeBuck (guest, #2330) [Link] (3 responses)

The device may well require adjustment when the patient is unconscious, so the idea that the patient would be the only one with the key would be a bad (maybe a fatal) mistake. Any solutions have to be thought through carefully.

Medical device hack attacks may kill, researchers warn (BBC News)

Posted Apr 12, 2012 0:29 UTC (Thu) by scientes (guest, #83068) [Link]

I'm not saying the patient is the only one with the key, I'm saying that the patient can give the key to people the patient wants to have that privlidge.

Medical device hack attacks may kill, researchers warn (BBC News)

Posted Apr 12, 2012 1:04 UTC (Thu) by Ben_P (guest, #74247) [Link] (1 responses)

I was thinking the signing key would be in the place as your blood type, allergies to certain common medicines etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_identification_tag

Medical device hack attacks may kill, researchers warn (BBC News)

Posted Apr 12, 2012 1:06 UTC (Thu) by Ben_P (guest, #74247) [Link]

According to that article, you ought to have a Medical ID card if you have any kind of medical implant like a pacemaker.

Medical device hack attacks may kill, researchers warn (BBC News)

Posted Apr 11, 2012 21:30 UTC (Wed) by pabs (subscriber, #43278) [Link]

This stuff is really scary and is now no longer theoretical:

http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/04/10/2139226/mcafee...

Medical device hack attacks may kill, researchers warn (BBC News)

Posted Apr 13, 2012 13:32 UTC (Fri) by ronaldgibson (guest, #84127) [Link] (1 responses)

Devices do not broadcast information. Only when it is requested information. RF eats precious battery power.

Medical device hack attacks may kill, researchers warn (BBC News)

Posted Apr 13, 2012 22:11 UTC (Fri) by jimparis (guest, #38647) [Link]

> Devices do not broadcast information. Only when it is requested information. RF eats precious battery power.

Depends. Running your receiver hardware continuously to see if someone is requesting information often takes much more power than just briefly and occasionally turning your transmitter on and sending a short burst of data. You could periodically power on and poll the receiver instead, but it's still not necessarily better.

For example, a typical low-power RF transmitter chip like the CC1000 (http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/cc1000.pdf page 7) consumes 7.4 mA in its lowest-sensitivity receive mode, or down to 5.3 mA in its lowest-power transmit mode. Either one can be reduced by turning the transceiver off and on, but you're still better off just using the transmitter occasionally.