Ethical Hacking News
New Security Flaw Discovered in DNA Sequencers: Illumina iSeq 100 Vulnerable to Firmware Tampering
A critical security flaw has been discovered in the Illumina iSeq 100 DNA sequencing instrument, which could allow attackers to brick or implant malware on susceptible devices. This finding highlights the vulnerability of high-stakes biological equipment to attacks that could compromise its functionality and put sensitive data at risk.
Security researchers have discovered a critical security flaw in the Illumina iSeq 100 DNA sequencing instrument.The vulnerability can be exploited to brick or implant malware on susceptible devices, potentially disabling it and causing disruption.The device's BIOS firmware implementation has outdated vulnerabilities that can be used to gain control over the device.Lack of protection against firmware tampering makes the iSeq 100 an attractive target for attackers.Researchers urge users of DNA sequencing equipment to exercise extreme caution when using these devices due to emerging vulnerabilities.
In a concerning development for the scientific community, cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a critical security flaw in the Illumina iSeq 100 DNA sequencing instrument. This finding highlights the vulnerability of high-stakes biological equipment to attacks that could compromise its functionality and put sensitive data at risk.
According to a report shared with The Hacker News by firmware security company Eclypsium, the iSeq 100 device's BIOS firmware implementation is riddled with outdated vulnerabilities that can be exploited to brick or implant malware on susceptible devices. This means that an attacker could gain control over the device, potentially disabling it and causing significant disruption in its intended use.
The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) has largely replaced the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), but the iSeq 100 device still boots to a version of BIOS with known vulnerabilities. Furthermore, protections that would prevent unauthorized modifications to firmware are absent on this device. Without these safeguards in place, an attacker could write arbitrary code to the firmware, potentially leading to catastrophic consequences.
This discovery comes as no surprise, given previous reports of severe vulnerabilities in DNA gene sequencers from Illumina. In April 2023, a critical security flaw (CVE-2023-1968) was disclosed that allowed for eavesdropping on network traffic and remotely transmitting arbitrary commands. The fact that another critical vulnerability has been discovered in the iSeq 100 highlights the need for vigilance in the scientific community.
According to Eclypsium, if an attacker were to target unpatched Illumina devices and successfully exploit this vulnerability, they could escalate their privileges and write arbitrary code to the firmware. This would enable them to easily disable the device, which could lead to significant disruption in its intended use. The stakes are particularly high for devices used in critical applications such as detecting genetic illnesses, identifying drug-resistant bacteria, or producing vaccines.
The implications of this discovery extend far beyond the scientific community. State-based actors with geopolitical motives and ransomware actors may see these devices as ripe targets due to their critical nature and the potential disruption they could cause. The fact that the iSeq 100 device does not have protections in place to prevent unauthorized modifications to firmware makes it an attractive target for attackers.
Illumina has released a fix for this vulnerability following responsible disclosure by Eclypsium, ensuring that users of the device can take steps to protect themselves from potential attacks.
In light of this discovery, researchers and security experts urge users of DNA sequencing equipment to exercise extreme caution when using these devices. The lack of protection against firmware tampering highlights the need for vigilance in the scientific community and underscores the importance of staying informed about emerging vulnerabilities.
Related Information:
https://thehackernews.com/2025/01/researchers-uncover-major-security-flaw.html
https://themunicheye.com/security-flaws-in-illumina-iseq-100-dna-sequencer-7425
Published: Tue Jan 7 11:31:20 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
