The research illustrates the challenge of securing devices conceived decades ago from 21st-century digital threats.

The disclosure expands the number of devices that could be at risk due to the "BadAlloc" flaw.

It's just the latest multinational company to be hamstrung by ransomware.

It's a critique of the coding practices of the designers of billions of so-called IoT devices.

"The bigger picture here is authentication, and it’s a problem that’s unfortunately typical for medical devices," said CyberMDX's Elad Luz.

The discovery highlights how obscure companies can have an outsize impact on supply chain security.