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Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator

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PhishingCVEExploitVulnerabilityCritical

Overview

A significant vulnerability has been identified in the Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator, affecting all versions of the device. This flaw allows attackers to exploit hidden commands via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) without any authentication or encryption. If successfully exploited, attackers could disable safety mechanisms or alter stimulation settings, posing serious risks to patients who rely on this medical device. Pulsetto has not collaborated with CISA to address the issue, leaving users vulnerable. It's crucial for users to contact Pulsetto directly for assistance and take defensive measures to protect their devices from potential exploitation.

Key Takeaways

  • Affected Systems: Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator (all versions)
  • Action Required: Users are encouraged to minimize network exposure for the device, ensure it is not accessible from the internet, and locate it behind firewalls.
  • Timeline: Disclosed on 2026-08-11

Original Article Summary

View CSAF Summary Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an attacker to use hidden commands to disable electrical safety mechanisms or modify other stimulation output settings. The following versions of Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator are affected: Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator vers:all/* (CVE-2026-18844) CVSS Vendor Equipment Vulnerabilities v3 8.1 Pulsetto Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator Hidden Functionality Background Critical Infrastructure Sectors: Healthcare and Public Health Countries/Areas Deployed: Worldwide Company Headquarters Location: Lithuania Vulnerabilities Expand All + CVE-2026-18844 The firmware of the affected product accepts several undisclosed commands over its Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) interface. These commands are sent without authentication or encryption, and are never issued by the companion mobile application, yet are fully processed by the device when it is powered on. View CVE Details Affected Products Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator Vendor: Pulsetto Product Version: Pulsetto Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator: vers:all/* Product Status: known_affected Remediations Mitigation Pulsetto has not responded to requests to work with CISA to mitigate this vulnerability. Users are encouraged to reach out directly to Pulsetto for assistance at info@pulsetto.tech. mailto:info@pulsetto.tech Relevant CWE: CWE-912 Hidden Functionality Metrics CVSS Version Base Score Base Severity Vector String 3.1 8.1 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H 4.0 7.2 HIGH CVSS:4.0/AV:A/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N Acknowledgments A.C. Buglione reported this vulnerability to CISA Legal Notice and Terms of Use This product is provided subject to this Notification (https://www.cisa.gov/notification) and this Privacy & Use policy (https://www.cisa.gov/privacy-policy). Recommended Practices CISA recommends users take defensive measures to minimize the risk of exploitation of this vulnerability. Minimize network exposure for all control system devices and/or systems, ensuring they are not accessible from the internet. Locate control system networks and remote devices behind firewalls and isolating them from business networks. When remote access is required, use more secure methods, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), recognizing VPNs may have vulnerabilities and should be updated to the most current version available. Also recognize VPN is only as secure as the connected devices. CISA reminds organizations to perform proper impact analysis and risk assessment prior to deploying defensive measures. CISA also provides a section for control systems security recommended practices on the ICS webpage on cisa.gov/ics. Several CISA products detailing cyber defense best practices are available for reading and download, including Improving Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity with Defense-in-Depth Strategies. CISA encourages organizations to implement recommended cybersecurity strategies for proactive defense of ICS assets. Additional mitigation guidance and recommended practices are publicly available on the ICS webpage at cisa.gov/ics in the technical information paper, ICS-TIP-12-146-01B--Targeted Cyber Intrusion Detection and Mitigation Strategies. Organizations observing suspected malicious activity should follow established internal procedures and report findings to CISA for tracking and correlation against other incidents. CISA also recommends users take the following measures to protect themselves from social engineering attacks: Do not click web links or open attachments in unsolicited email messages. Refer to Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams for more information on avoiding email scams. Refer to Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks for more information on social engineering attacks. No known public exploitation specifically targeting this vulnerability has been reported to CISA at this time. This vulnerability is not exploitable remotely. Revision History Initial Release Date: 2026-08-11 Date Revision Summary 2026-08-11 1 Initial Publication Legal Notice and Terms of Use

Impact

Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator (all versions)

Exploitation Status

No active exploitation has been reported at this time. However, organizations should still apply patches promptly as proof-of-concept code may exist.

Timeline

Disclosed on 2026-08-11

Remediation

Users are encouraged to minimize network exposure for the device, ensure it is not accessible from the internet, and locate it behind firewalls. For remote access, use secure methods like Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Users should reach out to Pulsetto at info@pulsetto.tech for further assistance.

Additional Information

This threat intelligence is aggregated from trusted cybersecurity sources. For the most up-to-date information, technical details, and official vendor guidance, please refer to the original article linked below.

Related Topics: This incident relates to Phishing, CVE, Exploit, and 2 more.

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