BlackBerry Software Cybersecurity Flaw Could Impact Cars, Medical Devices

A cybersecurity flaw in a software program designed by BlackBerry may put in danger automobiles and medical gear that use it and expose extremely delicate programs to attackers, the US medication regulator and a federal company stated on Tuesday.

The warning got here after the Canadian firm disclosed that its QNX Real Time Operating System (QNX RTOS) has a vulnerability that would enable an attacker to execute an arbitrary code or flood a server with site visitors till it crashes or will get paralyzed.

The software program is utilized by automakers together with Volkswagen, BMW, and Ford Motor in lots of important capabilities together with the Advanced Driver Assistance System.

The difficulty doesn’t affect present or latest variations of the QNX RTOS, however quite variations courting from 2012 and earlier, BlackBerry stated, including that, at the moment, no prospects have indicated that they’ve been impacted.

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) stated the software program is utilized in a variety of merchandise and its compromise “could result in a malicious actor gaining control of highly sensitive systems, increasing risk to the Nation’s critical functions”, the CISA stated.

The federal company that comes underneath the Department of Homeland Security and the corporate stated they weren’t but conscious of any case of lively exploitation of the flaw.

The US Food and Drug Administration stated it was not conscious of any antagonistic occasions whilst medical gear producers assess which programs could possibly be affected.

The firm additionally stated it has notified potential prospects which were affected and has made software program patches obtainable to resolve the matter.

BlackBerry had initially denied that the vulnerability, dubbed as BadAlloc, impacted its merchandise and later resisted making a public announcement, Politico reported, citing two folks conversant in talks between the corporate and federal cybersecurity officers, together with a authorities worker.

© Thomson Reuters 2021

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