CVE-2018-10634 in MMT 508
Summary
by MITRE
Medtronic MMT 508 MiniMed insulin pump, 522 / MMT - 722 Paradigm REAL-TIME, 523 / MMT - 723 Paradigm Revel, 523K / MMT - 723K Paradigm Revel, and 551 / MMT - 751 MiniMed 530G communications between the pump and wireless accessories are transmitted in cleartext. A sufficiently skilled attacker could capture these transmissions and extract sensitive information, such as device serial numbers.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/22/2025
The Medtronic insulin pump vulnerability CVE-2018-10634 represents a critical security flaw in several diabetes management devices including the MiniMed 508, Paradigm REAL-TIME, Paradigm Revel, and 530G models. This vulnerability stems from the improper implementation of wireless communication protocols that transmit sensitive medical data without encryption, creating a fundamental security gap in patient care technology. The affected devices operate within the healthcare IoT ecosystem where wireless connectivity enables remote monitoring and device control, making them attractive targets for cyber threats that could compromise patient safety and privacy.
The technical flaw manifests in the cleartext transmission of communication between insulin pumps and their wireless accessories, which violates core security principles outlined in the OWASP Top 10 and NIST cybersecurity frameworks. This vulnerability specifically maps to CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and CWE-310 (Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information) categories, where sensitive patient data including device serial numbers and potentially other medical information are exposed during wireless communication. The communication protocols lack proper encryption mechanisms, allowing attackers with sufficient technical skills to intercept and decode wireless transmissions using standard packet sniffing tools and wireless analysis software.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates potential pathways for more severe attacks within the medical device security landscape. Attackers could potentially extract device identifiers that might be used for device-specific attacks or to plan targeted exploitation strategies against specific medical devices. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality aspect of the CIA triad, as sensitive medical device information flows through unencrypted channels, violating privacy regulations such as HIPAA and GDPR requirements for protecting patient data. This exposure creates risks for patient safety, as attackers could potentially manipulate device configurations or gain unauthorized access to critical medical information that could be used for identity theft or further targeted attacks on healthcare systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate implementation of network segmentation and monitoring of wireless communications within healthcare environments. Organizations should deploy wireless intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious traffic patterns and implement network access controls that limit wireless device communication to authorized networks only. The affected devices should be updated with firmware patches that enable encryption of wireless communications, though many medical devices may require specialized support from manufacturers due to regulatory compliance requirements. Security teams should also implement continuous monitoring protocols to detect unauthorized access attempts and maintain detailed logs of device communications for forensic analysis. This vulnerability highlights the importance of secure communication protocols in medical devices and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046 (Network Service Scanning) and T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS) where attackers might exploit unencrypted communications to gather intelligence about medical device deployments and potentially plan more sophisticated attacks against healthcare infrastructure.