CVE-2019-13531: CWE-287 Improper Authentication in Medtronic Valleylab FT10 Energy Platform (VLFT10GEN)
In Medtronic Valleylab FT10 Energy Platform (VLFT10GEN) version 2.1.0 and lower and version 2.0.3 and lower, and Valleylab LS10 Energy Platform (VLLS10GEN—not available in the United States) version 1.20.2 and lower, the RFID security mechanism used for authentication between the FT10/LS10 Energy Platform and instruments can be bypassed, allowing for inauthentic instruments to connect to the generator.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2019-13531 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in the Medtronic Valleylab FT10 Energy Platform (VLFT10GEN) and the Valleylab LS10 Energy Platform (VLLS10GEN). These platforms are medical devices used in surgical settings to provide electrosurgical energy for cutting and coagulation. The vulnerability stems from improper authentication (CWE-287) in the RFID security mechanism that mediates communication between the energy platform and its instruments. Specifically, in affected versions (FT10 version 2.1.0 and lower, LS10 version 1.20.2 and lower), the RFID-based authentication can be bypassed, allowing unauthorized or inauthentic instruments to connect to the energy platform. This bypass undermines the integrity of the device's operational controls, potentially enabling the use of non-validated instruments that could alter the device's behavior or cause unintended energy delivery. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.8 (medium), with the vector indicating that the attack requires physical proximity (AV:P), has high attack complexity (AC:H), requires no privileges (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts integrity and availability to a limited extent (I:H, A:L), but not confidentiality. No known exploits are reported in the wild, and no patches or mitigation links are provided in the source data. The vulnerability is significant because it compromises the trust model of the medical device's instrument authentication, which is critical for patient safety and device reliability in clinical environments.
Potential Impact
For European healthcare organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk to patient safety and clinical operations. The ability to connect unauthorized instruments could lead to improper energy delivery during surgical procedures, potentially causing tissue damage or ineffective treatment. This could result in adverse patient outcomes, increased liability, and regulatory scrutiny under EU medical device regulations (MDR). Additionally, compromised device integrity may disrupt surgical workflows, leading to delays or cancellations. Although exploitation requires physical proximity and specialized knowledge, insider threats or malicious actors with access to operating rooms could exploit this flaw. The impact on confidentiality is negligible, but the integrity and availability of critical medical functions are at risk. Given the critical nature of surgical devices, even a medium-severity vulnerability warrants attention to prevent harm and maintain compliance with European health and safety standards.
Mitigation Recommendations
European healthcare providers should implement strict physical access controls to operating rooms and device storage areas to prevent unauthorized personnel from interacting with the energy platforms. Regular audits of device configurations and instrument inventories should be conducted to detect any unauthorized instruments. Medtronic should be engaged to confirm if firmware updates or patches are available beyond the published data; if not, risk mitigation should include enhanced procedural controls during surgeries involving these devices. Training clinical staff to recognize and report unusual device behavior is essential. Additionally, organizations should consider network segmentation and monitoring for any connected medical devices to detect anomalous activity. Where possible, replacing or upgrading to versions of the devices that have addressed this vulnerability is recommended. Finally, documenting and reporting any incidents related to this vulnerability to national competent authorities will support broader risk management efforts.
Affected Countries
Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria
CVE-2019-13531: CWE-287 Improper Authentication in Medtronic Valleylab FT10 Energy Platform (VLFT10GEN)
Description
In Medtronic Valleylab FT10 Energy Platform (VLFT10GEN) version 2.1.0 and lower and version 2.0.3 and lower, and Valleylab LS10 Energy Platform (VLLS10GEN—not available in the United States) version 1.20.2 and lower, the RFID security mechanism used for authentication between the FT10/LS10 Energy Platform and instruments can be bypassed, allowing for inauthentic instruments to connect to the generator.
AI-Powered Analysis
Technical Analysis
CVE-2019-13531 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in the Medtronic Valleylab FT10 Energy Platform (VLFT10GEN) and the Valleylab LS10 Energy Platform (VLLS10GEN). These platforms are medical devices used in surgical settings to provide electrosurgical energy for cutting and coagulation. The vulnerability stems from improper authentication (CWE-287) in the RFID security mechanism that mediates communication between the energy platform and its instruments. Specifically, in affected versions (FT10 version 2.1.0 and lower, LS10 version 1.20.2 and lower), the RFID-based authentication can be bypassed, allowing unauthorized or inauthentic instruments to connect to the energy platform. This bypass undermines the integrity of the device's operational controls, potentially enabling the use of non-validated instruments that could alter the device's behavior or cause unintended energy delivery. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.8 (medium), with the vector indicating that the attack requires physical proximity (AV:P), has high attack complexity (AC:H), requires no privileges (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts integrity and availability to a limited extent (I:H, A:L), but not confidentiality. No known exploits are reported in the wild, and no patches or mitigation links are provided in the source data. The vulnerability is significant because it compromises the trust model of the medical device's instrument authentication, which is critical for patient safety and device reliability in clinical environments.
Potential Impact
For European healthcare organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk to patient safety and clinical operations. The ability to connect unauthorized instruments could lead to improper energy delivery during surgical procedures, potentially causing tissue damage or ineffective treatment. This could result in adverse patient outcomes, increased liability, and regulatory scrutiny under EU medical device regulations (MDR). Additionally, compromised device integrity may disrupt surgical workflows, leading to delays or cancellations. Although exploitation requires physical proximity and specialized knowledge, insider threats or malicious actors with access to operating rooms could exploit this flaw. The impact on confidentiality is negligible, but the integrity and availability of critical medical functions are at risk. Given the critical nature of surgical devices, even a medium-severity vulnerability warrants attention to prevent harm and maintain compliance with European health and safety standards.
Mitigation Recommendations
European healthcare providers should implement strict physical access controls to operating rooms and device storage areas to prevent unauthorized personnel from interacting with the energy platforms. Regular audits of device configurations and instrument inventories should be conducted to detect any unauthorized instruments. Medtronic should be engaged to confirm if firmware updates or patches are available beyond the published data; if not, risk mitigation should include enhanced procedural controls during surgeries involving these devices. Training clinical staff to recognize and report unusual device behavior is essential. Additionally, organizations should consider network segmentation and monitoring for any connected medical devices to detect anomalous activity. Where possible, replacing or upgrading to versions of the devices that have addressed this vulnerability is recommended. Finally, documenting and reporting any incidents related to this vulnerability to national competent authorities will support broader risk management efforts.
For access to advanced analysis and higher rate limits, contact root@offseq.com
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.1
- Assigner Short Name
- icscert
- Date Reserved
- 2019-07-11T00:00:00
- Cisa Enriched
- false
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 682f725b0acd01a2492647a1
Added to database: 5/22/2025, 6:52:11 PM
Last enriched: 7/8/2025, 6:27:11 AM
Last updated: 8/15/2025, 4:32:00 AM
Views: 12
Related Threats
CVE-2025-3495: CWE-338 Use of Cryptographically Weak Pseudo-Random Number Generator (PRNG) in Delta Electronics COMMGR
CriticalCVE-2025-53948: CWE-415 Double Free in Santesoft Sante PACS Server
HighCVE-2025-52584: CWE-122 Heap-based Buffer Overflow in Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt
HighCVE-2025-46269: CWE-122 Heap-based Buffer Overflow in Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt
HighCVE-2025-54862: CWE-79 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation (XSS or 'Cross-site Scripting') in Santesoft Sante PACS Server
MediumActions
Updates to AI analysis are available only with a Pro account. Contact root@offseq.com for access.
Need enhanced features?
Contact root@offseq.com for Pro access with improved analysis and higher rate limits.