CVE-2018-5446 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

CVE-2018-5446 was published on February 27, 2018, by ICS-CERT. It involves a vulnerability in the Medtronic 2090 CareLink Programmer that allows unauthorized access to stored credentials.

Understanding CVE-2018-5446

This CVE identifies a security issue in the Medtronic 2090 CareLink Programmer that could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information.

What is CVE-2018-5446?

The vulnerability in the Medtronic 2090 CareLink Programmer allows an attacker with physical access to retrieve stored credentials, potentially gaining unauthorized access to the software deployment network.

The Impact of CVE-2018-5446

The vulnerability exposes sensitive per-product usernames and passwords, stored in a recoverable format, in all versions of the device. This could lead to unauthorized access to the software deployment network.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-5446

The technical aspects of the CVE provide insight into the vulnerability and its implications.

Vulnerability Description

The Medtronic 2090 CareLink Programmer stores per-product usernames and passwords in a recoverable format, making them vulnerable to unauthorized access.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Medtronic 2090 CareLink Programmer
Vendor: ICS-CERT
Affected Versions: All versions of the device

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability allows an attacker with physical access to the device to retrieve specific credentials, potentially compromising the software deployment network.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2018-5446 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Restrict physical access to the Medtronic 2090 CareLink Programmer to authorized personnel only.
Regularly monitor and audit access to the device to detect any unauthorized activities.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement strong access controls and authentication mechanisms to safeguard sensitive credentials.
Conduct regular security assessments and updates to address any potential vulnerabilities.
Educate users on best practices for securing sensitive information.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that the Medtronic 2090 CareLink Programmer is updated with the latest security patches and firmware releases to mitigate the vulnerability.