CVE-2016-5686 in Animas OneTouch Ping
Summary
by MITRE
Johnson & Johnson Animas OneTouch Ping devices mishandle acknowledgments, which makes it easier for remote attackers to bypass authentication via a custom communication protocol.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/02/2024
The CVE-2016-5686 vulnerability affects Johnson & Johnson Animas OneTouch Ping insulin pump devices, which are medical devices used for diabetes management. These devices operate using a proprietary communication protocol that enables remote interaction between the pump and external monitoring systems. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of acknowledgment messages within this custom protocol implementation, creating a fundamental flaw in the device's authentication mechanism. This weakness allows attackers to manipulate the communication flow without proper authentication credentials, effectively bypassing the security controls designed to protect patient data and device operation.
The technical flaw manifests in the device's failure to properly validate acknowledgment responses during protocol communication. When legitimate devices attempt to establish connections or transmit commands, the pump's firmware does not adequately verify the authenticity of acknowledgment messages. This improper validation creates a window where malicious actors can inject crafted acknowledgment packets that appear legitimate to the device's security logic. The vulnerability specifically impacts the device's ability to distinguish between authorized and unauthorized communication attempts, enabling attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks or direct command injection without proper authentication. This issue represents a classic case of inadequate input validation and authentication flow control, aligning with CWE-284 for improper access control and CWE-347 for insufficient verification of cryptographic signatures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple authentication bypass to potentially compromise patient safety and medical data integrity. Attackers could remotely control insulin delivery rates, modify device settings, or access sensitive patient information stored on the device. The remote nature of the attack means that unauthorized individuals could exploit this vulnerability from anywhere with appropriate network access, potentially leading to life-threatening situations for diabetic patients. Medical device security is particularly critical due to the direct impact on patient health, and this vulnerability demonstrates how communication protocol flaws can create significant risks in healthcare environments. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that these devices often operate in wireless environments, making them susceptible to various network-based attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-5686 should focus on both immediate remediation and long-term security enhancements. Device manufacturers should implement proper acknowledgment validation mechanisms that verify message authenticity through cryptographic means or sequence number checking. Network segmentation and monitoring should be deployed to detect unusual communication patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Healthcare organizations must conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of their medical device fleets and implement network access controls to limit communication with critical devices. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure communication protocol design in medical devices and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol communication. Additionally, regular security updates and patch management processes should be established to address similar vulnerabilities in medical device firmware. Organizations should also consider implementing device integrity monitoring solutions that can detect unauthorized modifications or communications attempts that might exploit this type of authentication bypass vulnerability.