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Robot vacuum cleaners hacked to spy on, insult owners

malwarebytes.com

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Re: Robot vacuum cleaners hacked to spy on, insult owners

#21

Post by accrual »

amelius wrote: post #11
gedy wrote: post #5

These darn things don't need to be "cloud enabled", or even wifi. Please make them Bluetooth, etc only. These dopey use cases of needing to trigger a cleaning while miles away have always seemed like a stretch.

Even if they're Bluetooth-only: AdTech will invent some way to send Ethernet packets over it, sooner than you might expect.

Maybe a step further for privacy: a physical "config mode" toggle on top of the vacuum that enables the BlueTooth radio for a point-to-point connection with the phone app, then toggle it back when you're done. Wouldn't prevent the vacuum from caching data during its work and sending it when in config mode though, I suppose.

Re: Robot vacuum cleaners hacked to spy on, insult owners

#22

Post by marcosdumay »

deepfriedchokes wrote: post #7

God bless these teenage degenerates and their endlessly creative fuckery. They bring more color to the world.

More importantly, they are raising consciousness of fundamental problems that can lead to very damaging consequences by doing cheap pranks with trivial consequences.

Re: Robot vacuum cleaners hacked to spy on, insult owners

#23

Post by iAMkenough »

delichon wrote: post #3

My Roborock has a three button combination you have to press on the bot to enable remote viewing. I suppose once you do that all bets are off. But at least it requires access to the hardware and is off by default. Better if you could configure it to disable again after each use or periodically. I'd really want this feature to keep an eye on my pets if I work away from home again. I could see buying a bot just for tha…

My pup would be tormented by the vacuum following it around while I'm not there. She gets freaked out enough by a stationary PTZ camera on my bookshelf.

Re: Robot vacuum cleaners hacked to spy on, insult owners

#24

Post by mordechai9000 »

Rygian wrote: post #14
woodrowbarlow wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

... for invading someone's privacy and screaming racist obscenities in their home? i vehemently disagree.

Consider the alternatives. Anyone else exploiting such a vulnerability would have worse intentions.

Perhaps, but it is possible to be a merry prankster and not use it as a way to spread hatred.

Re: Robot vacuum cleaners hacked to spy on, insult owners

#25

Post by beAbU »

woodrowbarlow wrote: post #8
deepfriedchokes wrote: post #7

God bless these teenage degenerates and their endlessly creative fuckery. They bring more color to the world.

... for invading someone's privacy and screaming racist obscenities in their home? i vehemently disagree.

Getting racist slurs yelled at me by my robot vacuum is arguably the best outcome imaginable if someone hacked it.

Re: Robot vacuum cleaners hacked to spy on, insult owners

#26

Post by deepfriedchokes »

marcosdumay wrote: post #22
deepfriedchokes wrote: post #7

God bless these teenage degenerates and their endlessly creative fuckery. They bring more color to the world.

More importantly, they are raising consciousness of fundamental problems that can lead to very damaging consequences by doing cheap pranks with trivial consequences.

Yeah these security holes they exposed were huge! I hope the company gets sued.

Lulz are a really cheap bounty program and a lot of kids value the opportunity to be a shitass way more than money.

Re: Robot vacuum cleaners hacked to spy on, insult owners

#27

Post by hulitu »

woodrowbarlow wrote: post #8
deepfriedchokes wrote: post #7

God bless these teenage degenerates and their endlessly creative fuckery. They bring more color to the world.

... for invading someone's privacy and screaming racist obscenities in their home? i vehemently disagree.

> ... for invading someone's privacy and screaming racist obscenities in their home? i vehemently disagree.

"someone's privacy" was already raped by the company selling the product. If a random kid can see in your house, everybody can see.

"I have nothing to hide" i suppose./s

Re: Robot vacuum cleaners hacked to spy on, insult owners

#28

Post by hulitu »

mordechai9000 wrote: post #24
Rygian wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Consider the alternatives. Anyone else exploiting such a vulnerability would have worse intentions.

Perhaps, but it is possible to be a merry prankster and not use it as a way to spread hatred.

> Perhaps, but it is possible to be a merry prankster and not use it as a way to spread hatred.

Not a as way to spread hatred, no. As a way to spread love, uploading your naked pictures/videos on porn sites. /s

Re: Robot vacuum cleaners hacked to spy on, insult owners

#29

Post by woodrowbarlow »

woodrowbarlow wrote: post #8
deepfriedchokes wrote: post #7

God bless these teenage degenerates and their endlessly creative fuckery. They bring more color to the world.

... for invading someone's privacy and screaming racist obscenities in their home? i vehemently disagree.

this whole subthread is upsetting. horrifying to see HN glorify the antagonist. the family was made to feel unsafe in their own home. yes, the manufacturer was negligent but that does not make it okay, it just means multiple parties are at fault. don't spin roomba terrorists as do-gooders. this teenage hacker was spreading hate and fear.
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