CVE-2021-27503 in mylife Cloud
Summary
by MITRE • 08/03/2021
Ypsomed mylife Cloud, mylife Mobile Application, Ypsomed mylife Cloud: All versions prior to 1.7.2, Ypsomed mylife App: All versions prior to 1.7.5,The application encrypts on the application layer of the communication protocol between the Ypsomed mylife App and mylife Cloud credentials based on hard-coded secrets, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to tamper with messages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/07/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-27503 affects Ypsomed mylife Cloud and mylife Mobile Application versions prior to 1.7.2 and 1.7.5 respectively. This security flaw resides in the application layer of the communication protocol where credentials are encrypted using hard-coded secrets. The implementation represents a critical weakness in the cryptographic framework of the system, as it violates fundamental security principles regarding key management and secret handling. The use of hard-coded secrets in mobile applications and cloud services creates a persistent vulnerability that remains exploitable across all versions of the affected software, making this a particularly concerning issue for healthcare and medical device ecosystems where data integrity and confidentiality are paramount.
The technical flaw manifests through the implementation of weak cryptography that relies on hardcoded encryption keys within the application code itself. This approach directly contravenes industry best practices and standards such as those outlined in CWE-327, which addresses the use of weak cryptographic algorithms, and CWE-798, which focuses on the use of hard-coded credentials. The vulnerability enables man-in-the-middle attackers to intercept and tamper with messages exchanged between the mobile application and cloud infrastructure. This occurs because the encryption keys are embedded within the application binary, making them discoverable through reverse engineering techniques and static analysis. The attack vector is particularly dangerous as it allows adversaries to not only eavesdrop on communications but also to modify data in transit, potentially compromising patient information and medical device control mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception to encompass potential system compromise and unauthorized access to medical device communications. Given that this affects medical applications used in healthcare environments, the implications are severe and could lead to unauthorized modifications of medical device settings, exposure of sensitive patient data, and potential safety risks. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple versions indicates a fundamental design flaw that was not properly addressed in the security architecture. This type of weakness aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers phishing with social engineering, and T1046, which involves network service scanning, as attackers could exploit the predictable encryption keys to manipulate communications. The vulnerability represents a significant risk to healthcare organizations and patients, as it undermines the security model of the entire medical device ecosystem.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper key management practices and cryptographic security measures. Organizations should upgrade to the patched versions 1.7.2 for mylife Cloud and 1.7.5 for the mobile application, which presumably address the hard-coded secret issue through proper cryptographic implementation. The solution should involve dynamic key generation, secure key storage mechanisms, and implementation of industry-standard encryption protocols such as TLS 1.3 with proper certificate management. Security measures should include regular cryptographic audits, secure code reviews focusing on key management, and implementation of secure communication protocols that do not rely on embedded secrets. Additionally, organizations should implement network monitoring to detect anomalous communications patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and establish proper incident response procedures for potential cryptographic compromise scenarios. The fix should also include proper certificate pinning mechanisms and ensure that all communication channels between the mobile application and cloud infrastructure use authenticated encryption rather than the vulnerable hardcoded secret approach.