Experts warn DNA sequencers are vulnerable to bootkit attacks
Posted by:
Olivia Smith
A recent study by researchers at Eclypsium has revealed a vulnerability in the boot-up process of the iSeq 100 DNA sequencer. This flaw could potentially allow threat actors to establish persistence on the device, damage the hardware, or manipulate the results. The iSeq 100, manufactured by Illumina, is a popular benchtop sequencing system used in genomic research and disease studies.
According to Eclypsium, the device boots with an outdated BIOS firmware and lacks standard security features, making it susceptible to various known bugs and potential cyber attacks. This vulnerability raises concerns about data manipulation, potentially impacting genetic research, medical treatments, and DNA analysis accuracy.
Following the discovery, Eclypsium promptly alerted the manufacturer, leading to the release of a patch. However, it remains unclear how many devices are affected and the timeline for applying the fix. Illumina stated that the issues are not deemed high-risk, although further assessments are ongoing.
For more tech updates, explore related articles on BleepingComputer, such as a zero-day vulnerability linked to Mitel collaboration software and a list of recommended antivirus and endpoint protection tools available in the market.
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