Category Archives: industrial IoT (IIoT)

Researchers find two dozen bugs in software used in medical and industrial devices

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Microsoft researchers have discovered some two dozen vulnerabilities in software that is embedded in popular medical and industrial devices that an attacker could use to breach those devices, and in some cases cause them to crash. The so-called “BadAlloc” vulnerabilities the researchers revealed on Thursday are in code that makes its way into infusion pumps, industrial robots, smart TVs and wearable devices. No less than 25 products made by the likes of Google Cloud, Samsung and Texas Instruments are affected. The research serves as a critique of the coding practices of the designers of billions of so-called “internet of things” devices that are a feature of modern life. There’s no evidence that the vulnerabilities have been exploited, according to Microsoft. But the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity agency issued an advisory urging organizations to update their software. It’s unclear just how many devices are affected by the software bugs, but […]

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How two researchers used an app store to demonstrate hacks on a factory

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When malicious code spread through the networks of Rheinmetall Automotive last year, it disrupted the German manufacturing firm’s plants on two continents, temporarily costing up to $4 million each week. The attacks were the latest reminder to factory owners that computer viruses can hobble production. While awareness of the threats has grown, there’s still a risk that too many organizations view such attacks as isolated incidents, rather than the work of a determined attacker that could be visited upon them. Federico Maggi, a senior researcher at cybersecurity company Trend Micro, set out to dispel that mindset. So he used a laboratory housed at Politecnico di Milano School of Management, Italy’s largest technical university, to show how attackers could disrupt production on the factory floor. His goal was to use the hypothetical hacks to help organizations address weaknesses in their defenses before actual attackers strike. “We wanted to look for something different, something that future attackers […]

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