If Grandma Has a Pacemaker, Please Take Her in For a Firmware Update. The Food and Drug Administration announced today that 4. US have a security vulnerability that could be exploited to make the device operate too quickly or deplete its batteries, and these devices need firmware updates to keep them from getting hacked. Yikes. The vulnerability affects devices made by Abbotts formerly St. Jude Medicals that are radio frequency enabled. Fortunately, the Department of Homeland Security says that an attacker would need to be nearby a person with a pacemaker in order to exploit the vulnerability. There havent been any reports of the vulnerability being exploited in the wild, according to the FDA. DHS also notes that the exploit code is not publicly available, so theres not much risk of a random hacker stumbling across it. An attacker with high skill would be able to exploit these vulnerabilities, DHS said. Still, even though theres not a ton of risk of having your pacemaker hacked in public, the FDA recommends that patients with the device make an appointment with their doctors to get the firmware update. These vulnerabilities, if exploited, could allow an unauthorized user i. This access could be used to modify programming commands to the implanted pacemaker, which could result in patient harm from rapid battery depletion or administration of inappropriate pacing, the FDA warned. How To Update My Custom Firmware On My Psp Score' title='How To Update My Custom Firmware On My Psp Score' />TheINQUIRER publishes daily news, reviews on the latest gadgets and devices, and INQdepth articles for tech buffs and hobbyists. How To Install Public Key Linux here. The Food and Drug Administration announced today that 465,000 pacemakers installed in the US have a security vulnerability that could be exploited to make the device. Torrentz Search Engine. Torrentz will always love you.