CVE-2015-7909 in LifeCare PCA Infusion System
Summary
by MITRE
Stack-based buffer overflow in Hospira Communication Engine (CE) before 1.2 in LifeCare PCA Infusion System 5.07, Plum A+ Infusion System 13.40, and Plum A+3 Infusion System 13.40 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via traffic on TCP port 5000.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/28/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7909 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw within the Hospira Communication Engine component of several medical infusion systems manufactured by Hospira. This vulnerability affects specific versions of the LifeCare PCA Infusion System running firmware version 5.07 and the Plum A+ Infusion System at firmware versions 13.40. The flaw exists in the communication engine that handles network traffic on TCP port 5000, making it accessible to remote attackers who can exploit this weakness without requiring physical access to the devices. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which occurs when a program writes data beyond the bounds of a fixed-length buffer allocated on the stack, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or system instability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the communication engine's network handling routines. When the system receives traffic on TCP port 5000, it fails to properly validate the length of incoming data before copying it into a fixed-size stack buffer. This oversight allows attackers to craft malicious network packets that exceed the buffer capacity, causing a stack overflow condition that can corrupt adjacent memory locations and potentially overwrite return addresses or other critical program state information. The remote attack vector means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from outside the local network, making it particularly dangerous in healthcare environments where medical devices are often connected to hospital networks and may be accessible from external networks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as indicated by the unspecified other impacts mentioned in the CVE description. While the primary effect manifests as denial of service, the buffer overflow condition could potentially enable remote code execution, allowing attackers to gain unauthorized control over the affected medical devices. In healthcare settings, this represents a significant security risk as compromised infusion pumps could lead to medication delivery errors, patient harm, or unauthorized access to sensitive medical device configurations. The vulnerability affects critical care equipment used for patient pain management and medication delivery, where device reliability and security are paramount for patient safety and regulatory compliance.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-7909 should prioritize immediate firmware updates from Hospira to address the buffer overflow vulnerability in the Communication Engine. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to TCP port 5000, limiting exposure to only authorized network segments and personnel. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect anomalous traffic patterns on port 5000 that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices in medical device development, particularly regarding input validation and memory management. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability could be categorized under initial access and execution tactics, as it provides a remote entry point for attackers who can potentially escalate privileges and gain persistent access to critical medical infrastructure. Healthcare organizations should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their medical device networks to identify similar unpatched systems and implement robust device management policies that ensure timely security updates and continuous monitoring of device network communications.