CVE-2019-17428 in Solismed
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Intesync Solismed 3.3sp1. An flaw in the encryption implementation exists, allowing for all encrypted data stored within the database to be decrypted.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/11/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-17428 represents a critical cryptographic weakness within the Intesync Solismed 3.3sp1 medical device firmware that fundamentally compromises the confidentiality of stored patient data. This issue resides in the implementation of encryption algorithms used to protect sensitive medical information within the device's database storage system. The flaw manifests as a failure in the cryptographic protocol design where the encryption mechanisms are insufficiently robust or improperly implemented, creating a pathway for unauthorized decryption of all stored encrypted data without proper authorization. The vulnerability affects medical devices used in healthcare environments where patient privacy and data protection are paramount, making this issue particularly concerning from both security and regulatory perspectives.
The technical nature of this flaw aligns with CWE-327, which addresses broken or weak cryptographic algorithms, and potentially CWE-310, which covers cryptographic issues related to key management and implementation. The vulnerability demonstrates a failure in the cryptographic implementation that allows for the complete breakdown of the encryption protection mechanism, enabling attackers to access all patient medical records, diagnostic information, and other sensitive healthcare data that was ostensibly protected. This weakness likely stems from the use of deprecated encryption standards, improper key generation or storage practices, or flawed cryptographic implementation that does not adhere to industry best practices for medical device security.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it represents a fundamental failure in the security architecture of medical devices that handle sensitive patient information. Healthcare organizations using affected Intesync Solismed devices face significant regulatory compliance risks under HIPAA and other healthcare data protection regulations, as the breach of encrypted data constitutes a serious security incident. The vulnerability could enable attackers to access complete patient medical histories, treatment records, and personal health information, potentially leading to identity theft, medical fraud, or targeted attacks against patients. Additionally, the exposure of encrypted data within medical devices creates a cascading security risk where compromised patient information could be used to plan more sophisticated attacks against healthcare facilities or individuals.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-17428 should prioritize immediate firmware updates from Intesync to address the cryptographic implementation flaw and ensure proper encryption standards are applied to all stored data. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to affected devices and establish monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of adhering to NIST Special Publication 800-53 security controls for medical devices and following the ATT&CK framework's medical device attack patterns where cryptographic weaknesses are exploited to gain unauthorized access to sensitive healthcare data. Security teams should conduct comprehensive risk assessments of all medical devices in their inventory and ensure that cryptographic implementations meet current industry standards for healthcare environments. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be performed to identify similar cryptographic weaknesses in other medical device systems and ensure proper key management practices are implemented across all healthcare technology infrastructure.