CVE-2014-5431 in SIGMA Spectrum Infusion System
Summary
by MITRE
Baxter SIGMA Spectrum Infusion System version 6.05 (model 35700BAX) with wireless battery module (WBM) version 16 contains a hard-coded password, which provides access to basic biomedical information, limited device settings, and network configuration of the WBM, if connected. The hard-coded password may allow an attacker with physical access to the device to access management functions to make unauthorized configuration changes to biomedical settings such as turn on and off wireless connections and the phase-complete audible alarm that indicates the end of an infusion phase. Baxter has released a new version of the SIGMA Spectrum Infusion System, version 8, which incorporates hardware and software changes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/08/2023
The CVE-2014-5431 vulnerability affects the Baxter SIGMA Spectrum Infusion System model 35700BAX running version 6.05 with a wireless battery module WBM version 16, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of medical device operations. This vulnerability stems from a hard-coded password embedded within the device firmware, creating a persistent backdoor access mechanism that bypasses normal authentication protocols. The flaw specifically impacts the wireless battery module component, which serves as a communication interface between the main infusion system and external wireless networks, making it a prime target for unauthorized access to critical medical device functions. The presence of such a hard-coded credential represents a fundamental design flaw that violates industry security best practices and exposes healthcare facilities to significant operational and regulatory risks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a static password that remains unchanged across all device instances, creating an inherent weakness in the system's security architecture. This hard-coded credential allows attackers with physical access to the device to gain unauthorized access to sensitive biomedical information including patient infusion parameters, limited device configuration settings, and network configuration details of the wireless module. The security implications extend beyond simple information disclosure, as the compromised access enables attackers to manipulate critical operational parameters such as wireless connection states, which could disrupt medical treatments, and phase-complete audible alarms that signal the conclusion of infusion phases. This capability directly impacts patient safety and treatment continuity, as unauthorized changes to these settings could result in incomplete infusions or inappropriate alarm disabling that might go unnoticed by healthcare providers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is particularly severe in healthcare environments where medical devices operate continuously and patient safety is paramount. Attackers exploiting this flaw could potentially disable critical alarms that indicate the completion of infusion phases, leading to delayed or missed treatment notifications that might compromise patient care. The ability to turn wireless connections on and off creates opportunities for attackers to disrupt communication between the infusion system and hospital networks, potentially affecting data logging, remote monitoring capabilities, and integration with electronic health records systems. This vulnerability also raises concerns about regulatory compliance with standards such as hipaa and the fda's medical device cybersecurity guidance, as it represents a failure to implement proper authentication mechanisms and secure configuration management practices. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple device instances without requiring network connectivity makes it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited regardless of the device's network status.
Organizations must implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability, beginning with immediate deployment of the patched version 8 software released by Baxter, which incorporates hardware and software changes designed to eliminate the hard-coded password issue. Security teams should conduct thorough inventory assessments to identify all affected devices within their healthcare networks and implement physical access controls to prevent unauthorized individuals from gaining access to these critical medical systems. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous access patterns or configuration changes that might indicate exploitation attempts, while regular security audits should verify that no legacy devices with this vulnerability remain operational. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure device lifecycle management, including proper firmware update procedures and the implementation of secure boot mechanisms that prevent unauthorized code execution. From an att&ck framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access and privilege escalation, while from a cwe perspective it represents cwe-259: use of hard-coded password and cwe-798: use of hard-coded credentials, both of which are classified as high-risk security weaknesses requiring immediate remediation to prevent potential exploitation in healthcare environments.