A newly-discovered collection of Bluetooth exploits could allow hackers access to your phone in a matter of seconds.
The security firm Armis is calling the fully operational vulnerabilities ‘BlueBorne’ and warns that virtually any unpatched Android, Linux or Windows device could be compromised.
Unpatched devices can be compromised without device owners needing to click on a link or connect to another Bluetooth device.
Providing the Bluetooth connectivity is switched on and the attacker is in range, the Bluetooth exploit can be actioned in under 10 seconds.
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This gives attackers full access to the device with the ability to execute any code they wish.
“Just by having Bluetooth on, we can get malicious code on your device,” Nadir Izrael, Armis CTO, told Ars Technica.
“BlueBorne abuses the fact that when Bluetooth is on, all of these devices are always listening for connections.”
You can see the hack demonstrated in the video below:
Thankfully, patches for the vulnerability are available. Google-branded phones are receiving an update from today, while the firm has also issued a patch to device manufactures.
Microsoft sent our a security patch in July, the report says. According to Ars, Apple iDevices were also vulnerable prior to iOS 10.
Let’s hope those remaining security patches arrive sooner rather than later.
Are the Bluetooth vulnerabilities enough to make you turn the tech off when not in use? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.