Bluetooth signals can be used to identify and track smartphones
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Bluetooth signals can be used to identify and track smartphones
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Re: Bluetooth signals can be used to identify and track smartphones
#2Couldn't you do this anyway with the device's BD_ADDR, or is that not included in beacons?
Re: Bluetooth signals can be used to identify and track smartphones
#3Apple has added recently at least for the BTLE implementation an address randomization much like they did for wifi, details of which can be found here: https://support.apple.com/guide/security/bluetooth-security-...
Re: Bluetooth signals can be used to identify and track smartphones
#4Apple has added recently at least for the BTLE implementation an address randomization much like they did for wifi, details of which can be found here: https://support.apple.com/guide/security/bluetooth-security-...
> All wireless devices have small manufacturing imperfections in the hardware that are unique to each device. These fingerprints are an accidental byproduct of the manufacturing process. These imperfections in Bluetooth hardware result in unique distortions, which can be used as a fingerprint to track a specific device.
>For Bluetooth, this would allow an attacker to circumvent anti-tracking techniques such as constantly changing the address a mobile device uses to connect to Internet networks.
Re: Bluetooth signals can be used to identify and track smartphones
#5Couldn't you do this anyway with the device's BD_ADDR, or is that not included in beacons?
Not since private resolvable addresses in BLE and nobody using classic anymore (except for car kits / audio where phone will wait to be connected to)
Re: Bluetooth signals can be used to identify and track smartphones
#6This is true of ALL wireless communications platforms/hardware. I remember reading that this technique was exploited by the CIA and was used against the drug cartels from the 80's onward.
Re: Bluetooth signals can be used to identify and track smartphones
#7Here is the paper: https://cseweb.ucsd.edu/~nibhaska/papers/sp22_paper.pdf
Re: Bluetooth signals can be used to identify and track smartphones
#8> “As far as we know, the only thing that definitely stops Bluetooth beacons is turning off your phone,” Bhaskar said.
At least for recent Apple devices, that's not true anymore (intentionally, as it is used to support "Find my iPhone" even with a dead battery or on a phone that's been switched off):
Re: Bluetooth signals can be used to identify and track smartphones
#9> “As far as we know, the only thing that definitely stops Bluetooth beacons is turning off your phone,” Bhaskar said. At least for recent Apple devices, that's not true anymore (intentionally, as it is used to support "Find my iPhone" even with a dead battery or on a phone that's been switched off): https://arxiv.org/abs/2205.06114
Faraday bags
Re: Bluetooth signals can be used to identify and track smartphones
#10Couldn't you do this anyway with the device's BD_ADDR, or is that not included in beacons?
For BLE, there is address privacy; for classic Bluetooth, I believe that devices do not broadcast their own address except when explicitly discoverable (for pairing).