Beware, hackers ‘could take control of your home’s speakers’

Security researchers have revealed how hackers can target internet-connected home speakers to play pranks, identify information about the owner, and even pinpoint their location. The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) alerted Nigerians recently that cyber criminals could launch a massive attack on the country this year. However, a study on the Sonos Play:1 and […]

Security researchers have revealed how hackers can target internet-connected home speakers to play pranks, identify information about the owner, and even pinpoint their location.

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) alerted Nigerians recently that cyber criminals could launch a massive attack on the country this year.

However, a study on the Sonos Play:1 and Bose Sound Touch speakers revealed a number of security “gaps” that could give anyone access to the device from a remote location. And a number of Nigerians have these devices in their homes and offices. 

The researchers found they could play sounds through the speakers, view email addresses linked to streaming sites and determine the approximate location – along with patterns that reveal if the owner is awake, asleep, or out of the house.

Internet-connected speakers could be used to learn about a person’s musical preference.

Therefore, with this information, a hacker could send that person customised phishing emails.

A hacker could also track down where the device’s owner lives and use patterns in the speaker to determine whether or not they’re home at a particular time.

To do this, a hacker could use a website that maps out different sources of wifi geo-location based on wireless access points that the device attempted to access when it was installed, the researchers explained.  

In the third type of attack, a hacker could play sounds through the speaker.

This could be used for creepy pranks, such as the “ghosty hack” cited above, or for something more malicious.

By playing a fake recorded message designed to mimic the manufacturer, the researchers explained, hackers could trick a person into downloading malware.

According to Wired, the vulnerability detailed in a new blog post from Trend Micro could be responsible for some unnerving “ghost” hacks that have resulted in people’s speakers playing strange noises on their own in the middle of the night, including the sounds of doors creaking and babies crying.