For the time being, the German Pharmacists’ Association will no longer issue digital corona vaccination cards. The reason is a “hacker attack” that reveals security gaps.
Munich / Berlin – That too. In the middle of the holiday season, when traveling is already tricky enough because of the Corona crisis. For the time being, German pharmacists will no longer issue digital coronavirus vaccination cards. The German Pharmacists Association (DAV) announced this Thursday (July 22nd). The reason for this is a “hacker attack” on a DAV server, which uncovered serious security gaps in the system.
Digital corona vaccination card: serious security gaps uncovered
The issuing of certificates was stopped in consultation with the Federal Ministry of Health, it said in a message. That happened: The Handelsblatt succeeded in creating a guest account for a non-existent pharmacy owner on the DAV server “with the help of professionally forged documents”, with which two vaccination certificates were then issued. As a test, so to speak.
In the video: This is how traveling with the digital Corona vaccination card works
On request, the Handelsblatt announced that it was correct that the newspaper had discovered a serious security gap in the creation of digital vaccination certificates. “However, the Handelsblatt itself did not gain access to the system; two IT security specialists have disclosed the vulnerability and thus demonstrated that there are significant deficiencies in the portal, ”said a publisher’s spokeswoman.
Digital corona vaccination card: More than 25 million vaccination certificates have already been issued in Germany
Therefore, the registered sites are currently being checked. But so far there has been no evidence of other unauthorized access. According to the DAV, it has not yet been determined when the pharmacies will be able to issue vaccination certificates again. However, it can be assumed that the more than 25 million vaccination certificates that have been issued so far in the coronavirus pandemic all come from legally registered pharmacies.
With the international CoVPass app, holidaymakers and travelers can get to any location in Austria, for example, such as bars, restaurants, bathing beaches or even discos. The digital corona vaccination card is also used when traveling by air. (pm)
