Posted Aug 3, 2026 at 7:28 AM UTCTExternal LinkA 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.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Thomas Ricker
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. [Link: Security Flaw Placed 30 Years of DNA Evidence at Risk of Hacking | https://www.wsj.com/tech/cybersecurity/security-flaw-placed-30-years-of-dna-evidence-at-risk-of-hacking-1932775a?st=B68zRX&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink | WSJ]
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