Presented at
DEF CON 31 (2023),
Aug. 11, 2023, 5 p.m.
(20 minutes)
In recent years, the use of internet-connected devices has become more prevalent in the healthcare sector, particularly as a means to communicate patient data. Therefore, it is essential that security testing is carried out against these devices to identify misconfigurations that could cause a severe impact, such as the prescription of incorrect drugs.
Modern healthcare protocols such as FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) use the HTTP protocol to communicate, making security testing relatively straightforward. However, the use of older protocols such as HL7 (Health Level Seven) is more widespread across medical devices in the industry. These protocols are bespoke and difficult to read or intercept using current commercial and open-source security tooling, making testing of these devices challenging and cumbersome.
To address this challenge, I have developed a tool (HL7Magic) to provide security testers with an easier method of intercepting and changing HL7 messages sent to and from medical devices. This tool was created for the purpose of being integrated into Burp Suite as an extension, although it can exist independently.
After talking about how the HL7Magic was created, I will give a short demonstration using the tool for security research purpose or to identify existing CVE’s across your estate. HL7Magic will be open sourced and collaborations to improve it further will be welcomed.
REFERENCES:
Forescout - Connected Medical Device Security: https://www.forescout.com/resources/connected-medical-device-security-a-deep-dive-into-healthcare-networks/
Dallas Haselhorst - HL7 Medical Attacking and Defending: https://linuxincluded.com/hl7-medical-attacking-defending/
Anirudh Duggal - Understanding HL7 2.X Standards, Pen Testing and Defending HL7 2.X Messages: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR7cH44fjrc
Saurabh Harit - Breaking Bad: Stealing Patient Data Through Medical Devices: https://www.blackhat.com/docs/eu-17/materials/eu-17-Harit-Breaking-Bad-Stealing-Patient-Data-Through-Medical-Devices.pdf
Christian Dameff, Maxwell Bland, Kirill Levchenko, Jeff Tully - Pestilential Protocol: How Unsecure HL7 Messages Threaten Patient Lives: https://i.blackhat.com/us-18/Thu-August-9/us-18-Dameff-Pestilential-Protocol-How-Unsecure-HL7-Messages-Threaten-Patient-Lives-wp.pdf
HL7apy: https://crs4.github.io/hl7apy/tutorial/index.html#
Presenters:
-
Katie Inns
- Security Consultant at WithSecure
Katie Inns is a Security Consultant in the Attack Surface Management (ASM) team at WithSecure. Katie has 6 years’ experience in the security industry, working in consulting and within an in-house security team focusing on vulnerability management and application security. Katie has spoken about the topic of ASM at conferences such as BlueTeam Con and conINT and holds the OSCP certification. Dancing has been Katie's hobby for 25 years and she also loves to listen to and play music.
Links:
Similar Presentations: