tech
A security flaw in widely used crime lab equipment exposed digital DNA evidence to undetectable tampering.
Using Antrophic’s Claude to exploit a security flaw that’s existed for decades, researchers successfully added and removed DNA profiles from files, meaning bad actors could theoretically frame an innocent person or erase a suspect. Equipment manufacturer Thermo Fisher has issued a software patch. There’s no evidence the vulnerability — which requires local lab access — had ever been exploited.
TL;DR
- A long-standing security flaw in DNA analysis software allowed researchers to tamper with digital DNA profiles.
- The exploit could theoretically be used to frame innocent people or erase suspect data.
- Thermo Fisher, the equipment manufacturer, has issued a software patch to address the vulnerability.
- The vulnerability requires local lab access and there is no evidence it has been exploited in the past.