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
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.
Affected Products
Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator
Pulsetto
Pulsetto Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator: vers:all/*
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
This product is provided subject to this Notification and this Privacy & Use policy.