McAfee Hacker Says Medtronic Insulin Pumps Vulnerable to Attack

Some Medtronic Inc. insulin pumps are vulnerable to a hacking attack that could let someone break into the devices from hundreds of feet away, disable security alarms and dump insulin directly into diabetics’ bloodstreams, according to a computer-security researcher at McAfee Inc.

Barnaby Jack, who works as a professional hacker for McAfee, said he can remotely control several types of Medtronic pumps. After first discussing the vulnerability last year at a small hacker conference in Florida, he has discovered more ways to exploit the weakness, including overriding security features such as vibration warnings.