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QIF-T0037

critical

Agency manipulation

Tier 5 — Theoretical (Modeled / Simulated)

Legacy status: THEORETICAL

Manipulate sense of agency -- user believes externally triggered actions are self-initiated, or vice versa. Targets basal ganglia (motor selection) and PFC (executive control). Neurorights: cognitive liberty.

Technique Details

Tactic
QIF-C.EX
Status
THEORETICAL
Bands
N5, N6, N7

Therapeutic Application

Manipulation of sense of agency (ownership of actions/thoughts) via BCI-mediated stimulation or feedback

Clinical Analog

Neurofeedback for self-regulation / agency restoration post-stroke

Treats

  • stroke rehabilitation (motor agency)
  • schizophrenia (agency disturbance)
  • dissociative disorders

Neural Impact

3 of 7 neural bands affected

N5 N6 N7

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.

F90 ADHD F10 Alcohol-related disorders (F10) F42 OCD F95 Tic Disorders F32 Major Depressive Disorder F41.1 Generalized Anxiety Disorder F43.10 PTSD F44 Dissociative Disorders F20 Schizophrenia Spectrum F50 Eating Disorders F30 Manic episode F60 Personality Disorders F45 Somatoform disorders F63 Impulse-Control Disorders F01 Vascular dementia F43 PTSD / Trauma F80 Communication Disorders F98.4 Stereotyped movement 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:L/CR:C/CD:C/CV:E/RV:P/NP:S
CVSS v4.0 CVSS:4.0/AV:A/AC:H/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:H/VA:L/SC:N/SI:H/SA:L
7.4High
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
0.2 / 1.0
524B Requirements
TM VA SBOM SA PM
Regulatory Gaps
  • ! CVSS cannot express neural-specific impacts
  • ! High neural impact (NISS >= 7.0) without IEC 62443 coverage
  • ! Threat not yet in regulatory threat catalogs

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) 7.4 7.4 High -
Child (10yr) + ADHD 7.4 8.7 High +1.30
Adult with ALS 7.4 8.6 High +1.19

Validation Status

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

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