Incident: Vulnerabilities in IoT Remote Management Tool Expose Medical Devices

Published Date: 2022-03-08

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident involving the seven vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda, collectively dubbed Access:7, was reported in the article published on 2022-03-08 [125624]. Therefore, the software failure incident happened in March 2022.
System 1. IoT remote management tool PTC Axeda [125624]
Responsible Organization 1. The vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda were caused by issues with how Axeda processes undocumented and unauthenticated commands, default configuration issues like hard-coded, guessable system passwords, and other related vulnerabilities [125624].
Impacted Organization 1. Hospitals and healthcare facilities were impacted by the software failure incident involving the vulnerabilities in the IoT remote management tool PTC Axeda, which is widely used in medical equipment [125624].
Software Causes 1. The software causes of the failure incident were the seven easily exploited vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda, collectively dubbed Access:7, which allowed attackers to manipulate the platform, grab patient data, alter test results, launch denial of service attacks, disrupt industrial control systems, and potentially gain control over devices [125624].
Non-software Causes 1. Inadequate protection of specialized health care devices on hospital networks [125624] 2. Issues with how the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda processes undocumented and unauthenticated commands [125624] 3. Default configuration issues like hard-coded, guessable system passwords shared by multiple Axeda users [125624]
Impacts 1. The software failure incident involving the Access:7 vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda had the potential impact of allowing attackers to grab patient data, alter test results or other medical records, launch denial of service attacks, disrupt industrial control systems, or even gain a foothold to attack ATMs [125624].
Preventions 1. Conducting regular security assessments and penetration testing on IoT devices and remote management tools like PTC Axeda to identify vulnerabilities before they are exploited [125624]. 2. Implementing strong authentication mechanisms and avoiding default configurations, such as hard-coded and guessable system passwords, to prevent unauthorized access [125624]. 3. Promptly applying software patches and updates provided by vendors to address known vulnerabilities, as demonstrated by PTC's response to the Access:7 vulnerabilities [125624]. 4. Educating users and organizations on the importance of cybersecurity best practices, such as blocking certain network ports and adjusting configurations to enhance security [125624].
Fixes 1. Implementing the patches released by PTC for the vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda [125624]. 2. Notifying customers and former customers about the vulnerabilities and guiding them to update their software or take other steps to mitigate their exposure [125624]. 3. Taking protective steps like blocking certain network ports and adjusting configurations for Axeda users who are concerned about disrupting critical systems by patching [125624].
References 1. Researchers from the health care security firm CyberMDX [125624] 2. Forescout [125624] 3. PTC (manufacturer of the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda) [125624] 4. US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency [125624] 5. H-ISAC (Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center) [125624] 6. Food and Drug Administration [125624]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization, multiple_organization (a) The software failure incident related to vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda, collectively dubbed Access:7, highlights a case where similar incidents have happened before within the same organization or with its products and services. The article mentions that the vulnerabilities in PTC Axeda were found by researchers from the health care security firm CyberMDX, which was acquired by Forescout. This incident underscores the interconnected exposures in medical devices and the broader IoT ecosystem, indicating a previous occurrence within the organization [125624]. (b) The software failure incident involving the Access:7 vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda also points to a situation where similar incidents have happened at multiple organizations or with their products and services. The article mentions that the researchers estimate that the Access:7 vulnerabilities are present in hundreds of thousands of devices across various industries, including medical equipment, ATMs, vending machines, barcode scanning systems, and industrial manufacturing equipment. This widespread impact indicates that similar incidents may have occurred at multiple organizations [125624].
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident in the articles is related to the design phase. The vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda, collectively dubbed Access:7, were found to be easily exploited due to issues with how Axeda processes undocumented and unauthenticated commands, default configuration issues like hard-coded, guessable system passwords, and other design flaws. These vulnerabilities could allow attackers to manipulate the platform, grab patient data, alter medical records, launch denial of service attacks, disrupt industrial control systems, or gain unauthorized access to critical devices [125624]. (b) The software failure incident is also related to the operation phase. The vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda could potentially lead to critical devices becoming unavailable, tampering with lab results, disrupting health care providers' access to patient data, or even taking over devices entirely. These consequences highlight the operational impact of the software vulnerabilities if exploited by attackers [125624].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) The software failure incident related to the Access:7 vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda can be categorized as within_system. The vulnerabilities, including issues with how Axeda processes commands and default configuration problems like hard-coded passwords, are internal to the system itself, making it susceptible to exploitation by attackers [125624].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident in the article is primarily due to non-human actions, specifically vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda. The vulnerabilities, collectively dubbed Access:7, were found by researchers from CyberMDX and were related to issues with how Axeda processes undocumented and unauthenticated commands, default configuration issues like hard-coded system passwords, and other technical flaws. These vulnerabilities could be easily exploited by attackers to manipulate the platform, grab patient data, alter medical records, launch denial of service attacks, disrupt industrial control systems, and potentially gain control over critical devices [125624]. (b) While the software failure incident is mainly attributed to non-human actions, there is also a human element involved in the incident. The article mentions that one of the challenges in addressing the vulnerabilities is notifying customers and getting them to update their software or take other mitigation steps. It highlights the importance of raising awareness among users and downstream vendors to apply patches and secure their systems. Additionally, the way the remote management tool was deployed and configured by users also contributed to the problems, indicating a human factor in the software failure incident [125624].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware, software (a) The software failure incident reported in the article is primarily related to hardware vulnerabilities in an internet of things remote management tool called PTC Axeda. The vulnerabilities, collectively dubbed Access:7, were found in the IoT remote access tool, which is used with various embedded devices, including medical equipment, ATMs, vending machines, barcode scanning systems, and industrial manufacturing equipment. The vulnerabilities allowed attackers to manipulate the platform through issues with how Axeda processes undocumented and unauthenticated commands, default configuration issues like hard-coded system passwords, and other critical vulnerabilities [125624]. (b) The software failure incident is also related to software vulnerabilities in the PTC Axeda IoT remote management tool. The vulnerabilities in the software, collectively known as Access:7, included issues with how the software processed commands, default configuration problems like guessable system passwords, and other software-related vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers to grab patient data, alter medical records, launch denial of service attacks, disrupt industrial control systems, or gain unauthorized access to critical devices [125624].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) malicious (a) The software failure incident in this case is malicious in nature. The vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda, collectively dubbed Access:7, were found to be easily exploited by attackers. These vulnerabilities could allow attackers to grab patient data, alter test results or other medical records, launch denial of service attacks, disrupt industrial control systems, or even gain control over critical devices like ATMs [125624]. The potential impact of these vulnerabilities could be comparable to recent ransomware attacks, indicating a significant threat posed by malicious actors exploiting these flaws in the software. (b) The software failure incident is non-malicious in the sense that the vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda were not intentionally introduced to harm the system. These vulnerabilities were identified by researchers from CyberMDX and were part of a coordinated disclosure process with PTC, leading to the release of patches to address the flaws. The disclosure process involved collaboration between various entities, including PTC, CyberMDX, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, H-ISAC, and the Food and Drug Administration, to mitigate the risks posed by these vulnerabilities [125624].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) poor_decisions (a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor_decisions: - The software failure incident involving the Access:7 vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda was primarily due to poor decisions in the design and implementation of the software. - Some of the vulnerabilities were related to issues with how Axeda processed undocumented and unauthenticated commands, allowing attackers to manipulate the platform. Others were due to default configuration issues like hard-coded, guessable system passwords shared by multiple Axeda users [125624].
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) development_incompetence (a) The software failure incident reported in the article is related to development incompetence. The vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda, collectively dubbed Access:7, were found to be easily exploited due to issues with how Axeda processes undocumented and unauthenticated commands, default configuration issues like hard-coded, guessable system passwords, and other critical flaws introduced during the development of the software [125624]. (b) The software failure incident is not attributed to accidental factors but rather to vulnerabilities that were identified as a result of research and analysis by security experts at CyberMDX and Forescout. The vulnerabilities were not accidental but were a result of specific design and implementation choices made during the development of the IoT remote access tool [125624].
Duration temporary (a) The software failure incident described in the article is more likely to be temporary rather than permanent. The vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda, collectively dubbed Access:7, were identified by researchers from CyberMDX and have been addressed through patches released by PTC [125624]. This indicates that the failure was due to contributing factors introduced by certain circumstances (the vulnerabilities) and not all circumstances, making it a temporary issue that can be mitigated through software updates and other protective measures.
Behaviour crash, omission, value, other (a) crash: The article mentions vulnerabilities in an IoT remote management tool, PTC Axeda, which could be exploited by attackers to potentially make critical devices unavailable or take them over entirely. This could lead to a system crash where the system loses state and does not perform its intended functions [125624]. (b) omission: The vulnerabilities in the PTC Axeda platform could allow attackers to grab patient data, alter test results, or launch denial of service attacks that could keep health care providers from accessing patient data when needed. This indicates a potential omission of performing the intended functions of protecting patient data and ensuring data availability [125624]. (c) timing: The article does not specifically mention any failures related to timing issues where the system performs its intended functions but too late or too early. (d) value: The vulnerabilities in the PTC Axeda platform could potentially allow attackers to alter test results or other medical records, indicating a failure in performing the intended functions correctly [125624]. (e) byzantine: The article does not mention any failures related to the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. (f) other: The vulnerabilities in the PTC Axeda platform could potentially lead to attackers tampering with lab results, disrupting industrial control systems, or gaining a foothold to attack ATMs. These actions could be considered as other behaviors resulting from the software failure incident [125624].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception sensor, processing_unit, network_communication, embedded_software (a) sensor: The software failure incident mentioned in the article is related to vulnerabilities in an internet of things remote management tool called PTC Axeda, which is used with embedded devices, including medical equipment. The vulnerabilities in the tool, collectively dubbed Access:7, could allow attackers to grab patient data, alter test results, launch denial of service attacks, disrupt industrial control systems, or gain a foothold to attack ATMs. These vulnerabilities are related to issues with how Axeda processes undocumented and unauthenticated commands, as well as default configuration issues like hard-coded, guessable system passwords shared by multiple Axeda users. These vulnerabilities could potentially impact the data and functioning of the sensors within the medical equipment and other devices connected to the Axeda platform [125624]. (b) actuator: The article does not specifically mention any failures related to actuators. (c) processing_unit: The vulnerabilities in the PTC Axeda IoT remote management tool, which are at the core of this software failure incident, could be considered as failures related to the processing unit of the cyber physical system. The vulnerabilities allow attackers to manipulate the platform, potentially leading to data exfiltration, tampering with lab results, making critical devices unavailable, or taking them over entirely. These vulnerabilities are related to how Axeda processes commands and handles system passwords, indicating a failure at the processing level of the system [125624]. (d) network_communication: The software failure incident discussed in the article highlights the interconnected exposures in medical devices and the broader IoT ecosystem due to vulnerabilities in the PTC Axeda IoT remote management tool. The vulnerabilities in the tool could potentially allow attackers to disrupt industrial control systems, launch denial of service attacks, or gain access to sensitive data by exploiting network communication channels. The vulnerabilities in the Axeda platform could impact the network communication within the cyber physical system, leading to potential security breaches and disruptions [125624]. (e) embedded_software: The software failure incident described in the article is directly related to vulnerabilities found in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda, which is used with embedded devices, particularly in medical equipment. The vulnerabilities, collectively known as Access:7, highlight flaws in the embedded software of the Axeda platform. These vulnerabilities could be exploited by attackers to manipulate the platform, grab patient data, alter test results, disrupt critical systems, or gain unauthorized access to devices. The vulnerabilities are a result of issues in how the embedded software processes commands and handles system passwords, indicating a failure at the embedded software level of the cyber physical system [125624].
Communication connectivity_level The software failure incident reported in Article 125624 is related to vulnerabilities found in an internet of things remote management tool called PTC Axeda. These vulnerabilities, collectively dubbed Access:7, were discovered by researchers from CyberMDX and are present in hundreds of thousands of devices, including medical equipment, ATMs, vending machines, barcode scanning systems, and industrial manufacturing equipment. Some of the vulnerabilities in Axeda relate to how it processes undocumented and unauthenticated commands, while others stem from default configuration issues like hard-coded and guessable system passwords shared by multiple users. Attackers could exploit these vulnerabilities to grab patient data, alter test results, launch denial of service attacks, disrupt industrial control systems, or gain unauthorized access to critical devices [125624]. This incident can be categorized as a failure at the connectivity_level, as the vulnerabilities in the Axeda platform relate to issues with how it processes commands and handles authentication, which are aspects typically associated with the network or transport layer of a cyber-physical system.
Application TRUE The software failure incident described in the article [125624] is related to vulnerabilities found in an internet of things remote management tool called PTC Axeda. These vulnerabilities, collectively dubbed Access:7, were found to be easily exploited, with some rated as critical and others as medium- to high-severity bugs. The vulnerabilities allowed attackers to manipulate the platform through issues such as how Axeda processes undocumented and unauthenticated commands, default configuration issues like hard-coded system passwords, and other security weaknesses. Attackers could potentially exploit these bugs to grab patient data, alter test results, launch denial of service attacks, disrupt industrial control systems, or gain unauthorized access to critical devices like ATMs. This incident aligns with the definition of a failure at the application layer of the cyber physical system, as it involves bugs and vulnerabilities within the software application itself that could be exploited by attackers [125624].

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence harm, property, delay, non-human, theoretical_consequence (a) death: The article does not mention any direct consequences of death resulting from the software failure incident. [125624] (b) harm: The vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda could potentially lead to harm as attackers could grab patient data, alter test results or other medical records, launch denial of service attacks that could keep health care providers from accessing patient data when they need it, disrupt industrial control systems, or even gain a foothold to attack ATMs. [125624] (c) basic: The article does not mention any impact on people's access to food or shelter due to the software failure incident. [125624] (d) property: The vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda could impact people's material goods, money, or data as attackers could potentially grab patient data, alter test results or other medical records. [125624] (e) delay: The vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda could potentially cause delays as attackers could launch denial of service attacks that could keep health care providers from accessing patient data when they need it. [125624] (f) non-human: The vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda could impact non-human entities such as medical equipment, ATMs, vending machines, barcode scanning systems, and industrial manufacturing equipment. [125624] (g) no_consequence: The article does not mention that there were no real observed consequences of the software failure incident. [125624] (h) theoretical_consequence: The article discusses potential consequences of the software failure incident, such as the potential impact of attackers exploiting the vulnerabilities to manipulate patient data, alter test results, disrupt industrial control systems, or attack ATMs. [125624] (i) other: The article does not mention any other specific consequences of the software failure incident beyond those related to potential harm, property impact, delays, and theoretical consequences. [125624]
Domain health The software failure incident reported in the article is related to the **health** industry [125624]. The vulnerabilities in the IoT remote access tool PTC Axeda, known as Access:7, were found to be particularly prevalent in medical equipment and devices used in healthcare settings. The potential impact of these vulnerabilities includes the exfiltration of patient data, tampering with lab results, making critical devices unavailable, disrupting industrial control systems, and even gaining access to ATMs. The article highlights the interconnected exposures in medical devices and the broader IoT ecosystem, emphasizing the significance of addressing cybersecurity risks in the healthcare sector.

Sources

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