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QIF-T0002

critical

Neural ransomware

Tier 4 — Demonstrated (Case Study / Observational)

Legacy status: EMERGING

Disrupt or lock neural function via stimulation manipulation. Closed-loop devices (RNS, DBS) most vulnerable. QI detects anomalous coherence collapse. Distinct from Neural DoS: ransomware implies conditional restoration.

Technique Details

Tactic
QIF-P.DS
Status
EMERGING
Bands
N3, N7, N6

Therapeutic Application

Disruption or conditional locking of neural function via closed-loop stimulation parameter manipulation

Clinical Analog

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) / Responsive neurostimulation (RNS)

Treats

  • Parkinson's disease
  • essential tremor
  • epilepsy
  • treatment-resistant depression

Neural Impact

3 of 7 neural bands affected

N3 N7 N6

Drag to rotate. Click a region to learn more.

Click or hover over a glowing region to see the attack techniques targeting it and their severity.

DSM-5-TR Diagnostic Mappings

Diagnostic category references for threat modeling, not diagnostic claims.

F82 Developmental Coordination Disorder F84 Pervasive developmental disorders F20 Schizophrenia Spectrum F32 Major Depressive Disorder F90 ADHD F42 OCD F41.1 Generalized Anxiety Disorder F43.10 PTSD F44 Dissociative Disorders F30 Manic episode F01 Vascular dementia F43 PTSD / Trauma F80 Communication Disorders F60 Personality Disorders F63 Impulse-Control Disorders F98.4 Stereotyped movement disorders F50 Eating Disorders F10 Alcohol-related disorders (F10) F45 Somatoform disorders

Pathway: N7 (PFC/M1) → executive function; N6 (hippocampus/amygdala) → emotion regulation

Following Poldrack (2006), brain region disruption does not uniquely predict psychiatric outcomes.

Scoring

NISS v1.1 NISS:1.1/BI:H/CR:H/CD:H/CV:E/RV:P/NP:T
CVSS v4.0 CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:H/SA:H
6.1Medium
PINSPINS triggers when Biological Impact is High/Critical or Reversibility is Irreversible. Indicates potential lasting harm to neural safety.
BICRCDCVRVNP
 

Governance

Neurorights at Risk

This technique threatens 5 of the 4 proposed neurorights (Ienca & Andorno, 2017).

Consent Complexity
1.80 / 4.0

FDORA §3305 Compliance

Cyber Device
Regulatory Coverage
0.6 / 1.0
524B Requirements
TM VA SBOM SA PM
Regulatory Gaps
  • ! CVSS cannot express neural-specific impacts

Population Vulnerability

CRB vulnerability adjustment (γ=0.30) accounts for age, diagnosis severity, consent capacity, and device dependency.

Population NISS Base Adjusted Severity Delta
Adult (Default) 6.1 6.1 Medium -
Child (10yr) + ADHD 6.1 7.2 High +1.08
Adult with ALS 6.1 7.1 High +0.98

Validation Status

Theoretical / Not yet validated. This technique has not been independently tested. See the validation dashboard for what has been tested.

Qinnovate Neural Security Atlas Edit this on GitHub