Overview
An Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-12997, has been discovered in the Medtronic CareLink Network. This vulnerability could allow an authenticated attacker, possessing specific device and user information, to potentially access sensitive user data by crafting and submitting malicious web requests to a vulnerable API endpoint.
Technical Details
The vulnerability stems from insufficient authorization checks within the CareLink Network’s API. An attacker who already has legitimate access to some device and user data can potentially manipulate identifiers in API requests to access data belonging to other users or devices that they are not authorized to view. This is a classic IDOR vulnerability, where the application relies on predictable or guessable identifiers to grant access to resources.
Specifically, the vulnerable API endpoint fails to properly validate whether the authenticated user should have access to the requested resource based on the provided identifier. This allows for unauthorized access to sensitive information.
CVSS Analysis
The National Vulnerability Database (NVD) has assigned CVE-2025-12997 a CVSS score of 2.2 (LOW).
- Attack Vector: Network
- Attack Complexity: High
- Privileges Required: Low
- User Interaction: None
- Scope: Unchanged
- Confidentiality Impact: Low
- Integrity Impact: None
- Availability Impact: None
While the CVSS score is low, the potential impact in a healthcare context is significant due to the sensitive nature of the data involved.
Possible Impact
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could result in:
- Unauthorized access to sensitive patient data: This includes personal information, medical history, device settings, and other confidential details.
- Privacy violations: Exposure of patient data can lead to serious privacy breaches and potential legal ramifications.
- Compliance issues: Healthcare organizations are subject to strict regulations regarding patient data privacy, such as HIPAA. A successful attack could result in non-compliance.
While the CVSS score is low because of the High Attack Complexity and requirement for existing access, the sensitive nature of healthcare data makes this a vulnerability that needs to be addressed promptly.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
Medtronic has released a security bulletin addressing this vulnerability. Users of the CareLink Network are strongly advised to take the following steps:
- Apply the Patch: Update your CareLink Network software to the version released on or after December 4, 2025, which includes the necessary security fix.
- Review Access Controls: Ensure that user access controls are properly configured and that users only have access to the data they need.
- Monitor Network Activity: Implement robust network monitoring to detect any suspicious activity that may indicate an attempted exploitation.
