With new technology come new threats and new opportunities for hackers to make their way into consumer devices and cause trouble. New information has surfaced that now Bluetooth devices are vulnerable to such attacks. Last week, Codenomicon announced at the Infosecurity Conference that certain protocols used Bluetooth communications are vulnerable and that manufacturers are not paying enough attention to the problem. Apparently, over half of the protocols used for Bluetooth devices have vulnerabilities that need to be addressed. Problems are also arising because of the interactions between protocols: when one is compromised, others suffer effects as well.

This problem is not only trouble of the average consumer, but also for services such as military and emergency services. Hackers can gain access to these systems and crash entire systems. Without adequate security defenses, system crashes are a threat and real possibility for such users. With Bluetooth, hackers can gain access to the devices within only 100 meters. The really interesting thing is that manufacturers were aware of the limited protection and did nothing to make necessary changes to prevent such intrusions.

Before a keynote speech on RFID flaws, one researcher was able to access a hotel web server by using the infrared TV remote in his hotel room. This is just one example that was made at the conference as an example of how easy it can be for an experienced hacker to gain access to private systems. Now hackers are making their way into the mobile world, and although this is no reason to get rid of your mobile device, it is a reason to support security changes that will keep users better protected.

Source: zdnetasia.com