CVE-2017-12722 in Medfusion 4000 Wireless Syringe Infusion Pump
Summary
by MITRE
An Out-of-bounds Read issue was discovered in Smiths Medical Medfusion 4000 Wireless Syringe Infusion Pump, Version 1.1, 1.5, and 1.6. A third-party component used in the pump reads memory out of bounds, causing the communications module to crash. Smiths Medical assesses that the crash of the communications module would not impact the operation of the therapeutic module.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/05/2020
The CVE-2017-12722 vulnerability represents a critical out-of-bounds read flaw within the Smiths Medical Medfusion 4000 Wireless Syringe Infusion Pump, affecting firmware versions 1.1, 1.5, and 1.6. This issue stems from a third-party component integrated into the device's communication infrastructure, specifically targeting the wireless communications module. The vulnerability manifests when the affected component attempts to access memory locations beyond its allocated boundaries, resulting in a system crash that disrupts the pump's wireless connectivity capabilities. The flaw demonstrates a classic software memory safety issue that can lead to denial of service conditions in medical device environments where continuous operation is paramount for patient safety.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper bounds checking within the third-party software component responsible for wireless communications. When the component processes incoming data or handles specific communication protocols, it fails to validate memory access boundaries before reading from allocated memory segments. This fundamental flaw creates a condition where the program attempts to read data from memory locations that either do not exist or contain unauthorized information, triggering an immediate system crash. The out-of-bounds read typically occurs during data parsing operations or when handling network packets, making it particularly dangerous in wireless medical devices where communication reliability directly impacts patient care delivery.
From an operational perspective, while Smiths Medical has assessed that the communications module crash does not affect the therapeutic module operation, this vulnerability presents significant risks in clinical environments where wireless connectivity is essential for device monitoring, configuration updates, and remote patient data transmission. The device's therapeutic functionality remains operational, but the loss of wireless communication capabilities can prevent healthcare providers from accessing real-time device status, adjusting infusion rates remotely, or receiving critical alerts. This limitation can compromise patient monitoring protocols and emergency response procedures, particularly in scenarios where wireless connectivity is required for integration with hospital information systems or centralized patient monitoring platforms.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions in software implementations, and represents a typical example of memory safety issues that plague embedded systems in medical device environments. From an attacker perspective, this flaw could potentially be exploited to create persistent denial of service conditions, though the specific impact appears limited to wireless communication disruption. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a system service disruption technique, where adversaries might leverage such vulnerabilities to compromise availability of critical medical device communications. The presence of third-party components in medical devices creates additional attack surface considerations, as manufacturers often have limited control over the security implementation of these integrated modules, making vulnerability management more complex in healthcare environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-12722 should focus on firmware updates provided by Smiths Medical, which would include patched versions of the affected third-party component. Healthcare organizations should implement comprehensive device inventory management to identify all affected units and ensure timely deployment of security patches. Network segmentation and monitoring of wireless communications can help detect anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments of medical device networks should include vulnerability scanning for similar out-of-bounds read conditions in other embedded systems. Additionally, implementing robust incident response procedures for medical device security events ensures that potential exploitation attempts can be quickly identified and addressed. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure software development practices, particularly in medical device environments where memory safety issues can have cascading effects on system reliability and patient safety.