CVE-2018-14799 in PageWriter
Summary
by MITRE
In Philips PageWriter TC10, TC20, TC30, TC50, TC70 Cardiographs, all versions prior to May 2018, the PageWriter device does not sanitize data entered by user. This can lead to buffer overflow or format string vulnerabilities.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/17/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-14799 affects Philips PageWriter cardiograph devices including models TC10, TC20, TC30, TC50, and TC70 across all versions prior to May 2018. This represents a critical security flaw in medical device software architecture that exposes patients and healthcare providers to significant risks. The issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the device's user interface processing components, where user-entered data is not properly sanitized before being processed by the underlying system. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-120 category of Buffer Overflow and CWE-134 format string vulnerability, both of which are well-documented weaknesses in software development practices that can lead to arbitrary code execution.
The technical flaw manifests when user input is directly processed without proper validation or sanitization, creating opportunities for attackers to inject malicious data sequences that can manipulate the device's memory operations. In the context of medical devices, this vulnerability can be exploited to overwrite critical memory segments, potentially leading to device malfunction, data corruption, or complete system compromise. The buffer overflow condition occurs when the system attempts to write data beyond the allocated memory boundaries, while the format string vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate how data is interpreted and displayed, potentially enabling privilege escalation or denial of service conditions. These weaknesses are particularly dangerous in healthcare environments where device reliability and data integrity are paramount for patient safety and regulatory compliance.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple device compromise to potentially affect patient care delivery and healthcare data security. Attackers could exploit these vulnerabilities to disrupt cardiac monitoring services, manipulate patient data, or gain unauthorized access to sensitive medical information stored on or processed by these devices. The risk is compounded by the fact that these devices are often deployed in critical care environments where system reliability is essential for life-saving procedures. The vulnerability also raises concerns about compliance with healthcare regulations such as HIPAA and FDA guidelines for medical device security, as compromised devices may no longer meet the required security standards for protecting patient health information. Additionally, the exploitation of these flaws could lead to unauthorized access to networked medical systems, potentially enabling lateral movement within hospital networks and broader security breaches.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-14799 should prioritize immediate firmware updates from Philips to address the input validation deficiencies. Organizations must implement network segmentation to isolate these devices from critical network infrastructure and establish monitoring protocols to detect anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of all medical device deployments to identify similar weaknesses in other equipment and establish incident response procedures specifically tailored for medical device security incidents. The remediation process must include thorough testing of updated firmware in controlled environments before deployment to ensure that security patches do not introduce functional regressions that could impact patient care. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be implemented as ongoing practices to maintain device security posture and ensure compliance with evolving healthcare security standards and regulatory requirements.