CVE-2020-16241 in SureSigns VS4
Summary
by MITRE
Philips SureSigns VS4, A.07.107 and prior. The software does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-16241 affects Philips SureSigns VS4 medical monitoring devices running software versions A.07.107 and earlier. This represents a critical access control weakness that compromises the security posture of healthcare monitoring equipment. The device operates within clinical environments where patient data integrity and system availability are paramount, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for healthcare organizations that rely on such medical devices for continuous patient monitoring and data collection.
The technical flaw manifests as insufficient access control mechanisms that fail to properly authenticate and authorize users attempting to interact with the device's resources. This weakness allows unauthorized actors to potentially gain access to sensitive patient monitoring data, system configuration parameters, and operational controls without proper authentication. The vulnerability stems from inadequate implementation of access restriction policies within the device's software architecture, creating potential entry points for malicious actors who might exploit these weaknesses to manipulate patient monitoring data or disrupt critical medical services.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to healthcare delivery systems and patient safety. Unauthorized access to medical monitoring devices could enable attackers to modify vital patient data, disable critical alerts, or even manipulate the device's operational parameters in ways that could compromise patient care. The impact extends beyond simple data exposure, as compromised monitoring devices could lead to delayed medical responses, incorrect treatment decisions, or complete system failures during critical patient care situations. Healthcare organizations face potential regulatory violations under HIPAA and other privacy frameworks when such security weaknesses exist in their medical device infrastructure.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control issues in software systems, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol: DNS, as attackers might leverage this weakness to establish unauthorized communication channels. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including firmware updates from Philips, network segmentation to isolate medical devices, and enhanced monitoring of device access patterns. Additional protective measures should include regular security assessments of medical device environments, implementation of network access controls, and establishment of incident response procedures specifically addressing medical device security breaches. The affected devices require prompt remediation through official firmware updates provided by Philips to address the underlying access control implementation flaws.