When the President Biden prepares to make a covid test at the house available for more Americans, a security researcher has found a defect that can enable someone to change the results in one test which has been given an emergency use authorization in the US.

Even though there are now a number of Covid-19 tests at home, Elume offers its own managed antigen test that can be used by individuals to check if they have contracted a virus. Instead of sending samples to testing facilities, the company testing kit allows users to collect their own nose samples and then test it using the Bluetooth analyzer included.

The Bluetooth Analyzer, which reports user test results to them and health authorities use the Elume mobile application, attract the attention of the F-Secure Ken Gannon security consultant who specializes in cellular security.

During his investigation, Gannon found that it was possible to exploit bugs in Bluetooth analyzers to change the results of Covid tests before they were reported to the Ellume application. In addition, Gannon and a colleague can obtain evidence of observation certificates for changing results from third-party video observation services directed by the company’s website.

Covid test results fake

After finding that he could falsify the Covid Ellume test results at home, Gannon shared his findings with companies that launched an investigation, confirming the problem and applying some improvements to the test to prevent users from damaging the results.

Gannon provides further insight into his discovery and how it can be harassed by those who want to secure a negative Covid test every time in a press release, saying:

“Our research involves a change in negative test results positively, but the process is functioning properly. Before ellume repairs, individuals or organizations are very skilled with cyber security expertise that tries to avoid public health measures intended to curb the spread of Covid, it could have done it with Replicating our findings. Someone with the right motivation and technical skills can use these weaknesses to ensure them, or someone they do, get negative results every time they are tested. “

Even though Gannon first decided to investigate Bluetooth analyzers used in Covid tests at Ellume’s house due to curiosity, he showed that individuals or other organizations could take advantage of public security shortages to avoid public health measures. Fortunately, the Covid test at Eludme’s house is now even safer thanks to the discovery of Gannon and the fact that he is responsible for revealing his findings to the company.