Bluetooth Has MAJOR Security Issues Since 2014 Putting Millions Of Devices At Risk: All You Need To Know

Bluetooth is a major part of how we use gadgets like smartwatch, wireless earbuds and speakers. But it seems the feature has faced major security issues for over a decade that could scare any of you.

New security reports claim that Bluetooth version 4.2 and higher are susceptible to hijacking which means the attackers can get access to these devices if they are able to bypass the flaw and gain control of the device. The bigger worry is that Apple’s popular wireless file transfer tool AirDrop is also in a spot of bother because of these flaws.

Security researchers have found this massive problem with Bluetooth-enabled devices which includes iPhones, iPads and Macs as well. They created six new attacks to determine the extent of the problem that were unknown previously, so we don’t even know if someone has been exploited using this issue or will be targeted in the near future.

Bluetooth Security Issue: What Can We Tell

Bluetooth sharing is made secure with the help of secret keys that help you pair with the other device. These keys are also used to authenticate the origin of the sender and make sure both of them have the same keys. One of the security flaws allows the attackers to break these keys via decryption which gives them control over how or what they want to share between the devices using their Bluetooth connection.

Having these kinds of powers means the attackers can impersonate another device without raising any alarm, even with AirDrop transfers. They can also intercept any file transfer and take a copy of the data that you might be sharing with the other device.

Bluetooth Flaw: These Devices Are Affected

Going by the details of the Bluetooth security issue, it seems devices supporting Bluetooth version 4.2 (that came out in December 2014) to Bluetooth 5.4 (launched in February this year) are at risk from these attacks. The major worry about this issue is that experts are not clear if any software patch can fool-proof millions of devices from the risk.

Having said that, it is advisable that people should be careful about using Bluetooth on their phone, tablet or laptop. Never share any file with unknown Bluetooth links in the public, and they should turn off Bluetooth when not needed.