CVE-2015-3958 in LifeCare PCA Infusion System
Summary
by MITRE
Hospira LifeCare PCA Infusion System 5.0 and earlier, and possibly other versions, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (forced manual reboot) via a flood of TCP packets.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2019
The Hospira LifeCare PCA Infusion System represents a critical medical device used in patient-controlled analgesia applications where patients receive prescribed pain medication through automated infusion pumps. These systems operate within healthcare environments where reliability and continuous operation are paramount for patient safety and clinical workflow. The vulnerability identified in version 5.0 and earlier of this system stems from inadequate network protocol handling mechanisms that fail to properly manage incoming TCP traffic. This flaw creates a condition where malicious actors can exploit the system's network stack by flooding it with TCP packets, ultimately forcing the device into an unintended reboot state.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption," specifically manifesting as a denial of service condition through resource exhaustion. The system's failure to implement proper rate limiting or connection management protocols creates an exploitable entry point where attackers can overwhelm the device's network processing capabilities. The TCP packet flood attack operates by sending a high volume of packets to the system's network interfaces, causing the device to consume excessive processing resources and eventually trigger an automatic reboot sequence as a protective mechanism. This behavior represents a fundamental flaw in the system's network stack implementation where proper packet filtering and resource allocation controls are absent.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise patient care delivery and clinical safety protocols. When a PCA infusion system experiences an unexpected reboot, it can interrupt medication delivery to patients who rely on continuous pain management, creating immediate clinical risks. Healthcare facilities may face regulatory compliance issues under HIPAA and FDA guidelines when such devices experience unauthorized disruptions. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from outside the facility's network perimeter, potentially targeting multiple systems simultaneously. This vulnerability also exposes the broader healthcare ecosystem to operational risks where network-based attacks can cascade across interconnected medical devices, creating widespread service disruption and potential patient safety incidents.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should encompass both immediate defensive measures and long-term architectural improvements. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit direct exposure of critical medical devices to external network traffic, utilizing firewalls and network access control lists to filter TCP traffic. Device firmware updates should be prioritized to address the underlying network stack implementation flaws, with healthcare organizations maintaining robust patch management processes for medical devices. The implementation of intrusion detection systems specifically configured to monitor for unusual TCP traffic patterns can help identify potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should develop incident response procedures that account for medical device disruptions, ensuring that clinical staff can quickly implement manual backup procedures when automated systems become unavailable. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical need for medical device security standards that align with NIST SP 800-82 guidelines for industrial control systems and reflects the growing importance of addressing cybersecurity risks in healthcare environments through comprehensive risk management frameworks.