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Pacemaker hacker says worm could possibly 'commit mass murder'

posted onOctober 18, 2012
by l33tdawg

It seems like something is very wrong with the picture when you read the news and it sounds more like a science fiction novel than a newsflash. For example, Barnaby Jack showed how an attacker with a laptop, located up to 50 feet from a victim, could remotely hack a pacemaker and deliver an 830-volt shock.

Ruxcon BreakPoint security conference in Melbourne must have been the place to be, as RiskyBiz said it kicked off with a bang featuring “mass murder, Windows exploits, hacking Apple and owning spy agencies.” Jack was just one presenter and he showed a video that he doesn’t want released to the public since the manufacturer would be named. Maybe it’s time to name and blame, cause this is some seriously scary stuff!

Jack is trying to raise awareness, so embedded medical device manufacturers will beef up security. If he doesn’t have their, or your, attention yet, then know that we are headed towards malware that can murder. Besides reverse engineering a pacemaker to deliver a deadly shock from 30 - 50 feet away, he demonstrated how he could rewrite the devices' onboard firmware. Jack also said it possible to upload malicious firmware to servers that would be capable of infecting pacemakers and ICDs. “We are potentially looking at a worm with the ability to commit mass murder," Jack said. "It's kind of scary."

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