CVE-2020-25187
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 · uneditedMedtronic MyCareLink Smart 25000 is vulnerable when an authenticated attacker runs a debug command, which can be sent to the patient reader and cause a heap overflow event within the MCL Smart Patient Reader software stack. The heap overflow could allow an attacker to remotely execute code on the MCL Smart Patient Reader, potentially leading to control of the device
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 · moderate confidenceThe MyCareLink Smart 25000 patient reader contains a heap overflow vulnerability exploitable via an authenticated debug command. An attacker who obtains valid credentials can send a specially crafted debug command to trigger a heap overflow in the MCL Smart Patient Reader software stack, enabling remote code execution and potential device takeover.
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 dataall versionsCVSS 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.
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Identify the device modelLocate the physical device or device inventory and confirm it is a Medtronic MyCareLink Smart Model 25000 patient reader. Check device label, management console, or network discovery for model number 25000.Affected if The device is a MyCareLink Smart Model 25000
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Check firmware versionAccess the device management interface or use the vendor-provided diagnostic tool to retrieve the firmware version. Compare against the affected product listing.Affected if Any firmware version is present on a Model 25000 device (all versions are affected)
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Verify debug command interface accessibilityDetermine whether the authenticated debug command interface is enabled and reachable. This may involve checking the device management web interface, CLI access, or network service ports for debug functionality.Affected if Debug command interface is enabled and accessible on the device
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Assess authentication exposureReview whether the device management or debug interfaces are exposed to untrusted networks. Check for weak, default, or compromised credentials that could allow an attacker to obtain valid authentication.Affected if Debug interface is accessible with valid credentials, and an attacker could obtain or has obtained valid credentials
You are affected if you operate a MyCareLink Smart Model 25000 device with any firmware version where the authenticated debug interface is accessible to an attacker.
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 dataApply vendor-supplied patches when available and restrict access to device management interfaces to authorized personnel only. Given the critical CVSS score and medical device context, coordinate remediation through Medtronic's official disclosure process.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation12.0 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 $12,160.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-25187 — 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-2020-25187 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
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- 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