Security Resilience

CVE-2023-31222

RCE in Medtronic Paceart Optima ≤ 1.12

Published
29 June 2023
Modified
21 November 2024
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 9.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.28 98th percentile
Risk Priority 86 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2023-31222 is a critical-severity Deserialization of Untrusted Data (CWE-502) vulnerability in Medtronic Paceart Optima. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Junk Data (T1001.001); ranked in the top 2% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

CVE-2023-31222 is a deserialization of untrusted data vulnerability (CWE-502) in the Microsoft Messaging Queuing Service component of Medtronic Paceart Optima versions 1.11 and earlier running on Windows. The flaw carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 and permits an unauthenticated network attacker to affect cardiac device data managed by the Paceart Optima system.

An attacker with network access can supply malicious serialized objects to the queuing service, resulting in deletion, theft, or modification of patient cardiac data or use of the compromised system for further network penetration within a healthcare delivery organization.

Medtronic’s security bulletin for the Paceart Optima system addresses the issue and directs customers to the vendor for mitigation guidance and available updates.

The EPSS score for this CVE rose from a low baseline to a peak of 0.2853, indicating that exploitation interest emerged after public disclosure.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Deserialization of untrusted data in Microsoft Messaging Queuing Service in Medtronic's Paceart Optima versions 1.11 and earlier on Windows allows an unauthorized user to impact a healthcare delivery organization’s Paceart Optima system cardiac device causing data to be deleted, stolen,…

more

or modified, or the Paceart Optima system being used for further network penetration via network connectivity.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1001.001 Junk Data Command And Control
Adversaries may add junk data to protocols used for command and control to make detection more difficult.
T1001.003 Protocol or Service Impersonation Command And Control
Adversaries may impersonate legitimate protocols or web service traffic to disguise command and control activity and thwart analysis efforts.
T1003.001 LSASS Memory Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access credential material stored in the process memory of the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS).
T1003.007 Proc Filesystem Credential Access
Adversaries may gather credentials from the proc filesystem or `/proc`.
T1005 Data from Local System Collection
Adversaries may search local system sources, such as file systems, configuration files, local databases, virtual machine files, or process memory, to find files of interest and sensitive data prior to Exfiltration.
T1006 Direct Volume Access Stealth
Adversaries may directly access a volume to bypass file access controls and file system monitoring.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2026-93872Shared CWE-502
CVE-2023-35317Shared CWE-502
CVE-2024-32603Shared CWE-502
CVE-2026-22333Shared CWE-502
CVE-2025-62368Shared CWE-502
CVE-2026-17637Shared CWE-502
CVE-2024-7435Shared CWE-502
CVE-2025-3425Shared CWE-502
CVE-2025-23006Shared CWE-502
CVE-2026-10042Shared CWE-502

Affected Assets

medtronic
paceart optima
≤ 1.12

Mitigating Controls

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

addresses: CWE-502

Penetration testing supplies malicious serialized objects, detecting unsafe deserialization and supporting corrective actions.

addresses: CWE-502

Evaluation of untrusted data handling (deserialization testing) reveals unsafe processing, which the required remediation process addresses.

addresses: CWE-502

Untrusted serialized data can be deserialized and observed inside the chamber, blocking gadget-chain exploitation outside the sandbox.

addresses: CWE-502

Validates or rejects untrusted serialized data before deserialization occurs.

addresses: CWE-502

Identifies and blocks malicious code introduced through deserialization of untrusted data at system boundaries.

addresses: CWE-502

Integrity verification of serialized information can detect tampering before deserialization occurs.

addresses: CWE-502

Provenance of associated data allows detection of untrusted sources before deserialization or processing occurs.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-02 none match
blocks

PR.PS-02 addresses only post-deployment updates/patching and cannot prevent introduction of unsafe deserialization code, yet it can remediate some instances when the flaw exists in outdated libraries or components.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

removes
removes
removes
removes
removes

References