CVE-2020-12040
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedSigma Spectrum Infusion System v's6.x (model 35700BAX) and Baxter Spectrum Infusion System Version(s) 8.x (model 35700BAX2) at the application layer uses an unauthenticated clear-text communication channel to send and receive system status and operational data. This could allow an attacker that has circumvented network security measures to view sensitive non-private data or to perform a man-in-the-middle attack.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe Sigma Spectrum and Baxter Spectrum Infusion Pumps (models 35700BAX and 35700BAX2) transmit system status and operational data over an unauthenticated clear-text (unencrypted) channel at the application layer. An attacker who has bypassed network security controls can intercept this traffic to view sensitive operational data or perform man-in-the-middle attacks to manipulate pump communications.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data>= 6.0, <= 6.05= 8.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify the infusion pump modelLocate the physical pump or check device inventory/monitoring system for model numbers 35700BAX or 35700BAX2Affected if Model is Sigma Spectrum or Baxter Spectrum with model numbers 35700BAX or 35700BAX2
-
Check the installed firmware versionAccess the pump's administration or settings menu and locate the firmware version information, or query the pump via its management interface if availableAffected if Firmware version is 6.0, 6.01, 6.02, 6.03, 6.04, 6.05, or 8.0
-
Verify if encrypted communication is enabledCheck the pump's network or communication settings for TLS/encryption configuration options, or inspect outbound network traffic from the pump using a packet capture tool to determine if application-layer traffic is encryptedAffected if Application-layer traffic is transmitted in clear-text (unencrypted) and no TLS wrapper proxy is in place
-
Confirm network segmentation statusReview network infrastructure configuration to verify whether the pump is isolated on a dedicated VLAN or segment separate from untrusted networksAffected if Pump is accessible from untrusted network segments or lacks proper network isolation controls
You are affected if your environment contains Baxter Sigma Spectrum infusion pumps (models 35700BAX/35700BAX2) running firmware versions 6.0-6.05 or 8.0 that transmit application-layer data without encryption and are accessible from non-segmented networks.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataImplement network segmentation to isolate infusion pumps from untrusted networks, and coordinate with Baxter for encrypted communication firmware updates or compensating controls such as TLS-wrapper proxies.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation24.0 h
- Testing16.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $15,616.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-12040 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-12040 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data