Bluetooth Blues
posted by:Chris Young // 10:33 PM // September 01, 2005 // TechLife
Bluetooth is an exciting and promising technology for simplifying interaction between electronic devices of all kinds. Applications as diverse as connecting to wireless headsets, synchronizing data (which we need to do whether we like it or not), and even romance are all enabled by Bluetooth. However, it brings with it both inherent security concerns (as any networking technology does), and ones that come about from poor craftsmanship, as it were. This article, by an independent IT security analyst, gives a great overview of contemporary security concerns in Bluetooth devices. Among other things, it seems that a hacker equipped with any Linux-powered, Bluetooth-equipped laptop can force nearby mobile phones to send SMS messages without the phone owners knowing about it. As the article author remarks, what situation is a phone owner in if his or her phone sends a bomb threat to a local government office?
This page, by trifinite.org, displays a list of known Bluetooth vulnerabilities, and may be the most complete online. Among others, it details how a hacker can listen in on phone conversations being conducted over Bluetooth car-phone systems. This project from trifinite.org was also reported in this piece in the International Herald Tribune.
