Scientists Demonstrate Deadly WiFi Pacemaker Hack

With the right kit and a little know-how, it is possible to hack into a pacemaker and take control. According to US researchers from the Medical Device Security Center, this is feasible because many pacemakers contain a radio designed to allow reprogramming of the heart-control devices.

The radio's signal is unencrypted, allowing a malicious attacker to turn off the pacemaker completely or deliver a shock to the heart which would cause ventricular fibrillation and thereby a cardiac arrest. The kit required is specialist and expensive, and an attacker would need to be in close physical proximity to the victim, but the possibility is very real.

src blog.wired.com...

Almost no limits to what can happen these days with technology. It can serve us and from the looks us things potentially kill us as well. This would be difficult to prevent unless some shielding or jamming were used and naturally some encryption. Now all we have to do is get a laptop within range of dick cheney

brill

I do not understand why standards for manufacturing of this kind of sensitive lifesaving equipment do not give a sufficient protection?
Obviously it cannot be shielded completely, but at least to a level that mp players and that kind of equipment will not be able to interfere.

You think this is bad check out how some credit cards are doing. Different angle but the implications are big:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

brill

Your title is mis-leading.

Its not a wifi attack, its a radio-based attack, slightly different.

It also requires the user to be at close range and $30,000 worth of kit.

The key is that the signals between the doctor and the device are un-encrypted and could potentially lead to an attack.

But for $30,000, there are better ways to kill someone, pacemaker or not.

It is shielded against most things, however they used specialist equipment to attack a pacemaker made by a specific company whilst it was not in a human being, the equipment they used included a high power directional ariel and a laptop, given that the cost of the equipment and set up cost near on £30,000 and that even an alienware laptop doesn't cost nearly half of that (yet) then thats a pretty special ariel and not one your going to find down your local maplins.

Originally posted by 2ciewan
Your title is mis-leading.

Its not a wifi attack, its a radio-based attack, slightly different.

It also requires the user to be at close range and $30,000 worth of kit.

The key is that the signals between the doctor and the device are un-encrypted and could potentially lead to an attack.

But for $30,000, there are better ways to kill someone, pacemaker or not.

It's not my title but I agree. This band involes the 175kHz range and typical wi-fi is 2.4

Never said the attack was cheap or easy but it does exist that is ultimately the fact here. Besides as with most protoypes initial costs are usually high but over time that could quickly change.

brill

WIFI is a standard, regardless of what frequency. This attack doesn't use anything anywhere near wifi. Its bad reporting, wireless yes, wifi no.

As a proof of concept it does prove that there are security concerns with the lack of encryption.

But that being said, there are much softer (and easier) wireless systems that could also be compromised leading to much more catastrophic results.

Thats where price, and convenience usually compromise with security and safety.

Im going to stop there, as to give any ideas on a public forum would be irresponsible, but enough to say there are so many systems out there unprotected, or at least vulnerable to cheaper attacks.

I think the best way of looking at this, is don't send anything over-the-air that you wouldn't be happy shouting across a busy pub.

Originally posted by 2ciewan
WIFI is a standard, regardless of what frequency. This attack doesn't use anything anywhere near wifi. Its bad reporting, wireless yes, wifi no.

It may be bad reporting but it is the title and we are supposed to use it. If it makes you uncomfortable contact Wired I guess.

Originally posted by 2ciewan
But that being said, there are much softer (and easier) wireless systems that could also be compromised leading to much more catastrophic results.

Thats where price, and convenience usually compromise with security and safety.

Im going to stop there, as to give any ideas on a public forum would be irresponsible, but enough to say there are so many systems out there unprotected, or at least vulnerable to cheaper attacks.

I think your overstating the obvious. There are many systems out there subject to compromise thats not a surprise by any means.

brill


[edit on 13-3-2008 by brill]