Healthcare providers and lab staff using the Illumina genetic sequencing device are advised to immediately patch the device software against a new vulnerability that the Food and Drug Administration says could put patients at risk.
According to the FDA, the affected devices include the Illumina NextSec 550DX, MisexDX, NextSec 500, NextSec 550, Misek, Isaac and next-generation sequencing devices.
Medical devices are used to test for genetic status and genetic sequencing, and the FDA says the bug, first identified on May 3, could be exploited by actors threatening to seize alumina devices. This will allow them to change their operating system, access the customer’s network, manipulate test results or even steal data. The bug affected local run manager software, the FDA added.
So far, there have been no reports of bug exploitation, the FDA said Cyber Security Alert for Healthcare Providers; However, the company “asks users to report any adverse events or suspicious adverse events experienced with the next-generation Illuminator Sequencing Instrument.”
