- Jun 9, 2013
- 6,720
Medical devices at US hospitals have been hit by the now-infamous WannaCry ransomware.
An unnamed source has released an image of an infected Bayer Medrad device, which is a radiology device used for imaging improvement for MRIs.
A Bayer spokesperson confirmed to Forbes that its products at two hospitals were indeed hit by the malware: "Operations at both sites were restored within 24 hours. If a hospital's network is compromised, this may affect Bayer's Windows-based devices connected to that network."
The spokesperson added that the company is preparing a patch for the Windows-based devices.
Some note that the patching process could be onerous. “Medical devices often use operating systems from the Microsoft’s Windows Embedded product line,” explained Craig Young, computer security researcher for the Tripwire Vulnerability and Exposures Research Team, via email. “Unfortunately...security fixes on embedded devices commonly require a complete firmware update from the vendor, which is then manually installed on the device. This can greatly increase patch delays due to the time it takes for vendors to prepare and test a new firmware to ensure that it will not interfere with the intended operation of the medical device.”
Read More. #WannaCry hits Medical Devices in US
An unnamed source has released an image of an infected Bayer Medrad device, which is a radiology device used for imaging improvement for MRIs.
A Bayer spokesperson confirmed to Forbes that its products at two hospitals were indeed hit by the malware: "Operations at both sites were restored within 24 hours. If a hospital's network is compromised, this may affect Bayer's Windows-based devices connected to that network."
The spokesperson added that the company is preparing a patch for the Windows-based devices.
Some note that the patching process could be onerous. “Medical devices often use operating systems from the Microsoft’s Windows Embedded product line,” explained Craig Young, computer security researcher for the Tripwire Vulnerability and Exposures Research Team, via email. “Unfortunately...security fixes on embedded devices commonly require a complete firmware update from the vendor, which is then manually installed on the device. This can greatly increase patch delays due to the time it takes for vendors to prepare and test a new firmware to ensure that it will not interfere with the intended operation of the medical device.”
Read More. #WannaCry hits Medical Devices in US
