Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator

Summary

A critical vulnerability (CVE-2026-18844) has been identified in the Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator, affecting all versions. Attackers can exploit hidden commands sent over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) without authentication or encryption to disable safety features or alter stimulation settings. Pulsetto has not yet provided a response to CISA regarding mitigation efforts.

Full text

ICS Medical Advisory Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator Release DateAugust 11, 2026 Alert CodeICSMA-26-223-02 Related topics: Industrial Control System Vulnerabilities , Industrial Control Systems View CSAF 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 Expand All + 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. View CVE Details Affected Products Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator Vendor:Pulsetto Product Version:Pulsetto Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator: vers:all/* Product Status:known_affected Remediations MitigationPulsetto 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. Tags Sector: Healthcare and Public Health Sector Topics: Industrial Control System Vulnerabilities, Industrial Control Systems Please share your thoughts We recently updated our anonymous product survey; we welcome your feedback. Related Advisories Aug 11, 2026 ICS Medical Advisory | ICSMA-26-223-01 Mira Hormone Monitor, Mira Android App Aug 06, 2026 ICS Medical Advisory | ICSMA-26-218-01 Medixant RadiAnt DICOM Aug 04, 2026 ICS Medical Advisory | ICSMA-26-216-01 Thermo Fisher Applied Biosystems Genetic Analyzers Jun 30, 2026 ICS Medical Advisory | ICSMA-26-181-01 OFFIS DCMTK Toolkit

Indicators of Compromise

• cve — CVE-2026-18844

Entities