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Bluetooth keystroke-injection in Android, Linux, macOS and iOS

github.com

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Re: Bluetooth keystroke-injection in Android, Linux, macOS and iOS

#91
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The vulnerabilities work by tricking the Bluetooth host state-machine into pairing with a fake keyboard without user-confirmation.

Is this possible to pair a keyboard device to Android without confirmation?

If the vulnerability author is to be believed, yes.

Re: Bluetooth keystroke-injection in Android, Linux, macOS and iOS

#92
The vulnerabilities work by tricking the Bluetooth host state-machine into pairing with a fake keyboard without user-confirmation. The underlying unauthenticated pairing mechanism is defined in the Bluetooth specification, and implementation-specific bugs expose it to the attacker.

Why would you want to pair silently? Could someone provide more details on the intended purpose of the faulty mechanism?

Re: Bluetooth keystroke-injection in Android, Linux, macOS and iOS

#93
post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ctrl+alt+t (insert malicious shell command)

Ok, but any reasonable threat model has assumed forever that physical access to the machine is essentially game over regardless. Or to put it another way... who cares about that when the adversary is in position to just do a snatch and grab of the whole device?

Wireless protocols don't count as physical access, since I can perform the attack from a car outside your house.

Re: Bluetooth keystroke-injection in Android, Linux, macOS and iOS

#94
post #25

This doesn't mention Windows at all. That sounds great on the surface, but it would be really helpful to understand why Windows is not actually at fault so I can better measure the risk profile. For example, knowing that the Windows Bluetooth stack has the architectural equivalent of BlueZ's `ClassicBondedOnly=false` would be really helpful to know; that would tell me to keep an eye out for it being `true` in environ…

Because Bluetooth barely works normally for Windows

Can't be affected by an attack vector if the vector doesn't work to begin with, clever.

Re: Bluetooth keystroke-injection in Android, Linux, macOS and iOS

#95

The vulnerabilities work by tricking the Bluetooth host state-machine into pairing with a fake keyboard without user-confirmation. The underlying unauthenticated pairing mechanism is defined in the Bluetooth specification, and implementation-specific bugs expose it to the attacker. Why would you want to pair silently? Could someone provide more details on the intended purpose of the faulty mechanism?

In the bluetooth spec? For various non-computer things, like being able to pair your first controller to your playstation, without having to plug in an usb mouse to click ”allow pairing”

On the devices affected? Who knows

Re: Bluetooth keystroke-injection in Android, Linux, macOS and iOS

#97
post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ctrl+alt+t (insert malicious shell command)

Ok, but any reasonable threat model has assumed forever that physical access to the machine is essentially game over regardless. Or to put it another way... who cares about that when the adversary is in position to just do a snatch and grab of the whole device?

This is an automatic bluetooth pairing attack. With the right equipment (which can be as simple as a Pringles can and an antenna aimed through a window) you can execute this attack from a hundred meters away. That's not physical access.

Re: Bluetooth keystroke-injection in Android, Linux, macOS and iOS

#98

I doubt this is practical for use against phones or computers, but if you're responsible for keeping people from messing with kiosks your life just got more interesting.

On a computer, you could conceivably hide a poisoned sudo/su somewhere and add it to the $PATH.

Re: Bluetooth keystroke-injection in Android, Linux, macOS and iOS

#99
post #25

This doesn't mention Windows at all. That sounds great on the surface, but it would be really helpful to understand why Windows is not actually at fault so I can better measure the risk profile. For example, knowing that the Windows Bluetooth stack has the architectural equivalent of BlueZ's `ClassicBondedOnly=false` would be really helpful to know; that would tell me to keep an eye out for it being `true` in environ…

Because Bluetooth barely works normally for Windows

As someone who used a bluetooth mouse with Windows for the past few years, have to disagree

And Bluetooth got quite a bit better on Windows 11 after the new audio profile thing is available

Re: Bluetooth keystroke-injection in Android, Linux, macOS and iOS

#100
post #95

The vulnerabilities work by tricking the Bluetooth host state-machine into pairing with a fake keyboard without user-confirmation. The underlying unauthenticated pairing mechanism is defined in the Bluetooth specification, and implementation-specific bugs expose it to the attacker. Why would you want to pair silently? Could someone provide more details on the intended purpose of the faulty mechanism?

In the bluetooth spec? For various non-computer things, like being able to pair your first controller to your playstation, without having to plug in an usb mouse to click ”allow pairing” On the devices affected? Who knows

There are set-top boxes/TVs running android/linux that might have the same use-case for remotes/controllers and macOS/iOS share a lot of code with tvOS which has the same use-case. Macs ship with wireless keyboards that automatically pairs, apple even highlight this on their product page: "It pairs automatically with your Mac, so you can get to work right away." https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMMR3LL/A/magic-keyboard-...
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