Cisco confirms Linksys firmware flaw, says only one router

Cisco has confirmed a vulnerability in a Linksys router that would allow a hacker to gain full control of the device used to build home wireless networks.

Security vendor DefenseCode disclosed the flaw last week, saying that it could be in multiple Linksys models. On Thursday, Cisco said the vulnerability was only in the Linksys WRT54GL.

"At this point, no other Linksys products appear to be impacted," Cisco said in a statement. "We have developed and are testing a fix for this issue, and will release it for our customers as soon as possible."

Until a patch is available, Cisco recommended that customers make sure their network is securely configured and that strangers or people who cannot be trusted do not use an Ethernet cable to connect to the router.

[See also: Researcher at RSA: Web page can take over your router]

Neither Cisco nor DefenseCode has provided details of the vulnerability. After being told of Cisco's statement, DefenseCode did a "quick analysis" and found that "at least one other Linksys model is probably vulnerable," Chief Executive Leon Juranic said in an email. In addition, the company has told Cisco about "a few other potential vulnerabilities in the Linksys equipment."

DenfenseCode was also checking to see whether network devices from other manufacturers contained the same flaw.

Earlier this week, DefenseCode said in a blog post that the vulnerability was in the default installation of Linksys routers. The company posted a YouTube video showing a proof-of-concept exploit being used to gain root access to a Linksys WRT54GL running the latest version of firmware, 4.30.14.

A few "shady" third parties offered to buy the exploit, which DenfenseCode refused to do, Juranic said. "We don't sell exploits."

In December, Cisco hired Barclays to find a buyer for Linksys, Bloomberg reported. The network equipment maker is looking to sell the unit as part of its strategy to get rid of its consumer businesses in order to focus on corporate products.

Read more about network security in CSOonline's Network Security section.

Researchers easily crack Philips hospital IT system

A Philips information management system used in making hospital administrative chores more efficient contains vulnerabilities that can be exploited to gain full control of the product, a security vendor says.

Cylance disclosed the flaws in the Xper system Thursday at the S4 security conference in Miami, Fla. The product is typically integrated with multiple hospital systems, including databases.

Researchers Billy Rios and Terry McCorkle bought the system from a reseller, after they discovered it couldn't be bought directly from the manufacturer without a license. The device running the software had an inventory tag indicating it was from a Utah hospital, which the researchers declined to identify.

The first security problem was in the way the software, which runs on Windows XP, handles authentication. The researchers found three previously configured, password-protected user accounts, which they were able to easily crack using RainbowCrack. The well-known program is used in breaking cryptographic hash values that systems give to user names and passwords.

Once the credentials are obtained, a person would have full access to the Xper system, Rios said.

The second security hole was in the way the software takes incoming connections from medical systems over a particular port. The researchers used the "heap overflow" vulnerability to take control of the Xper product, Rios said.

"If we see an [Xper] system, then there's a couple of ways we can take it over," Rios said. "One is we know the passwords. And two, if we don't know the passwords, we can just use a heap overflow to take over the device anyway."

[See related: Ransom, implant attack highlight need for healthcare security]

Cylance notified the U.S. Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT) of the vulnerabilities. The organization, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, then notified Philips.

In a statement, the company said the vulnerabilities were limited to an older version of the product. "Philips continues to explore the possible impact of the vulnerability based on continued investigation and new information obtained at the security conference," the company said.

Security experts have warned of the security problems with industrial control systems and medical devices for years. A lot of the software and hardware in use today were built before the Internet was introduced into hospitals.

For example, the Veterans Administration reported 173 security breaches of medical devices from 2009 to 2011, said Gienna Shaw, editor of FierceHealthIT. A 2012 General Accounting Office report found that wireless implanted medical devices such as defibrillators and insulin pumps for people with diabetes were vulnerable to hacking.

Read more about data protection in CSOonline's Data Protection section.

Big Value from Big Data

Giving Power to Clients

Scott Henry, Executive VP and CIO, Arbitron

As a consumer research and ratings company, Arbitron is all about data. We collect it, we identify market trends with it, we allow others to analyze it, and more. So our big data efforts span everything we do.

Internally, we have much the same focus as everyone else--seeking to improve business processes and enable better decisions. But our big push now is providing analytics tools for external clients. The software services that we provide to radio stations, media groups, advertisers and marketing firms are designed to help them run better as profitable companies--for example, helping stations determine which programming works best for which time blocks and locations, or helping advertisers identify the optimal times and places to get their message out. Our primary service has been to give both groups audience information in fairly static reports that our custom research group develops based on their individual needs. Data analytics allows us to also deliver a dashboard that they can use to manipulate and query the data however they want. As this technology improves and we learn how to use it internally, we are then able to turn around and continuously enhance the value we give our clients.

Redefining Value

Dave Zodikoff, CIO, Ambrose Employer Group

I've been working with big data in some form for almost 25 years, starting with building data warehouses and reports at Citicorp. The thing I've learned above all else is that you really need to understand the culture of your organization and how the information is going to be used. Sit down with the folks who will be consuming the information and ask what they need, not what they think IT could do.

When I was at Whole Foods, it took two full meetings to push that idea through. We had data on thousands of stock items, purchases and more, and everyone had ideas for how technology was supposed to get the most out of that data. But once we got the store directors to think about what they really wanted, we found they didn't want reports with numbers, they wanted to see comparisons and be able to choose what stores and products would be compared. That was a revelation.

That success is why I'm now here at Ambrose. They brought me in specifically because the company's relationships with clients is our lifeblood. We serve as their human resources and financial departments, sitting in-house as employees of those companies in nearly every way, and we can't force tools or reports down their throats simply because we think that information will be good for them. I'm going through those same conversations now to define need, and I am confident we will create real value for everyone.

Aiming for Transparency

A.J. Lang, Senior VP and CIO, WellPoint

WellPoint serves millions of people through our affiliated health plans and subsidiaries, and we have the associated wealth of data to go with them. By giving consumers access to all that information on the rapidly changing the healthcare industry, we expect to generate a significant amount of personal and corporate value.

The immediate goal of our online tool, Anthem Care Comparison, is to provide price and quality comparisons for some of the most-used healthcare services in a given geographic area. The larger goal is to move to a more consumer-driven healthcare model and drive the industry toward increased transparency. Access to data from the National Consumer Cost Tool and Anthem's data consolidation repository enables all our members to make more-informed decisions on healthcare services based on quality, cost and proximity. Before, many members chose providers based only on name, location, word-of-mouth or provider referrals.

Our members can now make personal care choices based on cost data for 102 procedures in 49 states (excluding Mississippi) and Puerto Rico. Informed consumers have increased accountability for their healthcare and continue to play a bigger role in improving healthcare quality and reducing costs, one of the key focuses of our business.

Henry, Zodikoff and Lang are all members of the CIO Executive Council, a global peer advisory service and professional association of more than 500 CIOs, founded by CIO's publisher. To learn more, visitcouncil.cio.com.