Medical examiners on Friday were working to figure out what killed 36-year-old hacker Barnaby Jack, a software wizard poised to give a talk on wirelessly tampering with heart devices.
The San Francisco coroner’s office told AFP that an autopsy was scheduled to determine what caused Jack’s death on Thursday. Jack was a San Francisco resident and worked as a software security researcher at IOActive Labs.
The admired member of the hacker community made headlines in 2010 by revealing a way to crack automated teller machines remotely using the Internet.
He was scheduled to give a presentation next week at a Black Hat hacking conference in Las Vegas on how to remotely tamper with wireless defibrillators implanted in chests to restart stalled hearts.
“I will discuss how these devices operate and communicate and the security shortcomings of the current protocols,” Jack said in an overview of his presentation posted at the Black Hat website.
“I will also discuss ideas manufacturers can implement to improve the security of these devices.”
Jack said in an IOActive blog post early this year that he has been spending the majority of his time researching how vulnerable new model wireless pacemakers and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs).
“We have created software for research purposes that will wirelessly scan for new model ICDs and pacemakers without the need for a serial or model number,” Jack said in the blog post.
“The software then allows one to rewrite the firmware on the devices, modify settings and parameters, and in the case of ICDs, deliver high-voltage shocks remotely.”
Three years ago, the New Zealand native demonstrated his “ATM jackpotting” discovery for an overflow crowd of hackers during a presentation at the infamous DefCon hacker gathering held on the heels of Black Hat annually in Las Vegas.
Jack found a way to access ATMs remotely using the Internet. Once in the machines, he could command them to spit out cash or transfer funds.
He didn’t reveal specifics of the attack to hackers even though the ATM makers were told of the flaw and have bolstered machine defenses.
“Lost but never forgotten our beloved pirate, Barnaby Jack has passed,” IOActive said in a message at the company’s Twitter account.
“He was a master hacker and dear friend. Here’s to you Barnes!”
Hackers took to Twitter in force to post tributes to Jack, a cherished member of the Black Hat and DefCon communities.
“Great memory: Barnaby Jack shooting me in the face with water through a hacked insulin pump whilst doing shots,” tweeted Dave Marcus, head of security research at McAfee Labs. “RIP Barns. You made me laugh.”
Hacker Barnaby Jack dies on cusp of heart device talk
