Piracy : thousands of pacemakers need to be updated

bdspn74/epictura

Published the 03.09.2017 at 15h19

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cardiologiepacemakerpiratage

The installation of electronic devices in the human body comes with a risk. Indeed, it is possible… of the hack. Whether inadvertently, by simple vandalism, or for reasons more reprehensible. And some to be particularly vulnerable, putting their aircraft in danger.

This is the case of a series of pacemakers manufactured by Abbott, an american pharmaceutical company. Researchers from the university of Leuven (Belgium) have managed to hack these medical devices in a very easy way.

A hacking easy

“We have demonstrated that using a handcrafted antenna and a computer, a hacker could easily give instructions to a pacemaker, explains professor Rik Willems, a cardiologist at the faculty of medicine of the university of Leuven. Which of course is dangerous. “

The concrete risk : a change of pace, regulated by the pacemaker, or the dump in advance of the battery. “These situations cannot be seen only in the tv series, but it is not impossible,” adds the Pr Willems. No incident has been identified.

No operation in perspective

On 29 August, the Food and drug administration (FDA), the us agency for safety of drug and health products, has issued a statement encouraging any holder of pacemakers Abbott to install the update available from the same day.

“The update requires an in-person visit to her doctor,” says the FDA in its press release. The process will take approximately 3 minutes “, stating that it is unnecessary to conduct a full replacement of products.