CVE-2025-24836 Overview
CVE-2025-24836 is a denial-of-service vulnerability affecting a Qardio medical device that communicates over Bluetooth. An attacker within Bluetooth range can send continuous startMeasurement commands over an unencrypted Bluetooth connection. The flood of requests prevents the device from connecting to a clinician's application, blocking legitimate patient readings.
The vulnerability is tracked under [CWE-248: Uncaught Exception] and was disclosed through CISA Medical Advisory ICSMA-25-044-01. The flaw stems from the absence of authentication and encryption on the Bluetooth interface accepting measurement commands.
Critical Impact
An adjacent attacker can render the affected medical device unable to perform patient measurements, disrupting clinical workflows that depend on the device for diagnostic readings.
Affected Products
- Qardio medical device exposing the startMeasurement Bluetooth command
- Unencrypted Bluetooth interface used between the device and the clinician application
- Clinical workflows relying on the affected device for patient measurement data
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-02-13 - CVE-2025-24836 published to NVD
- 2026-04-15 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-24836
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the Bluetooth command handler that processes startMeasurement requests. The device accepts these commands over an unencrypted connection without authenticating the sender or rate-limiting incoming requests. An attacker within Bluetooth radio range can script repeated command issuance to keep the device perpetually busy initiating measurements.
While the device is processing the attacker-supplied flood, it cannot accept a connection from the legitimate clinician application. The result is a sustained denial-of-service condition against patient measurement functionality. The classification under CWE-248 indicates that exception handling within the command processing path contributes to the unavailability.
The Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) places the probability of exploitation at 0.158%. No public proof-of-concept exploit, vendor patch advisory, or CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities listing has been published at the time of writing.
Root Cause
The root cause is twofold. First, the Bluetooth channel accepting startMeasurement commands is unencrypted and unauthenticated, allowing any in-range device to issue commands. Second, the command handler does not implement rate limiting, queueing controls, or graceful exception handling for floods of legitimate-format requests.
Attack Vector
The attack requires adjacent network (Bluetooth radio range) access. According to CISA advisory ICSMA-25-044-01, an attacker uses a specially crafted Python script to issue continuous startMeasurement commands. The device exhausts its connection or command-processing capacity and rejects the clinician application connection until the attack stops.
No authentication, user interaction, or prior compromise of the clinician application is required. The attack is described in prose only; no verified exploit code is published.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24836
Indicators of Compromise
- Repeated startMeasurement Bluetooth commands originating from an unrecognized peer device within range of the medical device
- Clinician application unable to establish a Bluetooth pairing or session with a previously working device
- Device telemetry showing sustained measurement-initiation activity without a paired clinician session
Detection Strategies
- Monitor Bluetooth pairing and connection logs for unexpected peers attempting repeated command issuance near affected devices
- Correlate clinician application connection failures with proximity-based Bluetooth scan data to identify rogue transmitters
- Use wireless intrusion detection sensors in clinical environments to flag abnormal Bluetooth Low Energy traffic volumes targeting medical devices
Monitoring Recommendations
- Track clinician application error logs reporting device-unavailable conditions, particularly recurrent failures on the same device
- Maintain an inventory of authorized Bluetooth peers for each medical device and alert on deviations
- Review CISA medical device advisories regularly for updates to ICSMA-25-044-01
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24836
Immediate Actions Required
- Contact Qardio through the official vendor contact page for current remediation guidance specific to the affected device
- Restrict use of affected devices to controlled physical environments where unauthorized Bluetooth peers cannot approach
- Document affected device serial numbers and place them under heightened operational monitoring during patient encounters
Patch Information
No vendor patch is referenced in the available CVE data. Organizations should consult Qardio directly and monitor CISA ICSMA-25-044-01 for updates on firmware fixes or compensating controls.
Workarounds
- Operate the device only in shielded or access-controlled clinical spaces that limit Bluetooth radio exposure to unauthorized parties
- Power the device off when not in active use to reduce the window of exposure to flooding attempts
- Have clinicians retry connections from a different physical location if a device becomes unresponsive, which may move the device out of an attacker's Bluetooth range
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
